Showing posts with label Random Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random Thoughts. Show all posts
Summing up my profession
"When people are at war of their house is burned down, they may not be in the mood [to be interviewed] either, but its my job as a journalist to be insensitive for entertainment purposes." - Kim, character from U.S. television series Kath & Kim
Grand Rapids Singles
Did you know Grand Rapids supposedly has an almost equal amount of single men and women? Just a 1% difference (more men) between the two. The more you know!
I still have a life, am living it
As warned, blogging has been cut down quite a bit since school has started. I am still alive, however. So that is good news.
I am taking 12 credits worth of classes, working about 12 hours a week, and spending time with my internship at Unnamed Media Company (UMC). And I do not feel that stressed out... yet. Any deviation from my schedule might do just that, however.
Tuesday nights this summer were spent bowling with some friends. I have decided to keep that up over this semester, to ensure that I make at least some effort to socialize. Some semesters I bury myself in homework and barely see any friends - apart from the ones I work with - so that has been great for me as well. Except since the semester started, the stress has obviously kicked in and affected by bowling game, bringing me down from scoring 100+ a game to being fortunate to get 70 points. I think I need to use the bumpers.
I have two discussion classes this semester. These 400-level classes are spent with students doing reading and talking about what was read, while the teacher facilitates what goes on. This works great for one class where it is just four people talking.
I have more or less adjusted to the Grand Valley State University Allendale campus. I know where my buildings are, and I think I know where all the other classes are. I can get from building to building in just a few minutes. Most buildings are not too big, either. Except for Mackinaw Hall, where one can expecting to find a shopping mall hidden inside that labyrinth.
Grandpa J. had a small stroke. He's fine. He lost half his vision. That's about all I can say in a nutshell about that.
I assume the rest of the family is doing okay. I barely see them.
The new television season is starting to come back. I have never missed 24 less.
Heroes decided that "villains" means having some generic no-good-doers look menacing while everyone else becomes morally ambiguous. The Office decided that after receiving harsh criticism for their hour-long episodes last season to open this season with another hour-long installment. Smart!
Bones has not yet found a replacement for Zach in the lab. This past week's episode seems to hint that we're just a season away from the serial-killer-apprentice being reinstated to the land of the squints. House remains as comfortable has it always has. If only they would update the theme song with the other half of their cast. Ugly Betty remains the brightest thing I ever did see. Now that the show is filmed in New York City, I can try to identify places they are filming at that I recognize. So far: Times Square, and maybe that sprawling graveyard, which were all over the ride from LaGuardia to Manhattan.
I'm looking forward to the return of 30 Rock, Pushing Daisies and Private Practice. And Chuck, but, they debuted it one week prior to television broadcast, so it's already kind of come back for me.
Work is going fine at the Family Dining Establishment. People start, people leave, it's the perpetual revolving door. I get sad when people cut back on their hours. Then I remember I did the same this semester. It feels more wrong when others do that, though.
The internship at UMC is going good. A little... (complicated?) at times. But I am very fortunate to be working with some very nice people. I was afraid it would be a "stereotypical" newsroom with angry, egotistical people, but, I also have not met everyone. Those I have, do not fit the mold. Unless I am one of those people and I just don't recognize others like me.
I will probably be getting some more free time in a few weeks. The ratings for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles have been hemorrhaging lately. If that gets cancelled, I'll gain an hour on Monday nights. Until Samantha Who? comes back, that is.
Intere-scent-ing opinion
I cannot have you experience what I am smelling now. Nor what I smelled in that nice Dutch bakery in town. Or what it smelled like in Central Park. I can show you pictures, I can show you video, I can take audio clips, I can bring home grass clippings, stones, or other sensory objects so you know what it feels like. But I cannot capture scent. And isn't that funny?
We live in a day and age of unbridled technological advancement. We have the most clarity in motion capture that we have ever seen before. Even high-definition is getting high-definition upgrades. We can communicate with friends and family all over the globe, just as much as if they were by us face-to-face. And as consumers, we can take pictures to capture sight. We can use audio recorders to capture sound. We can taste. We can touch. But smell? There is no way we can share smell. At all.
The closest way is smelling scents, whether in candles, perfume or air fresheners. These manufactured smells help to share an array of scents, like vanilla, cinnamon, or "skin renewal," whatever that smells like. (That's actually the title of my after shave. I bought it because I thought it smelled nice.) (More parenthesis: Olfaction is the technical term referring to the sense of smell.) We can buy these scents, made diligently in hard-working labs across the globe. But can the average consumer bottle a scent? Can we capture the smell of homemade pizza sauce cooking on the stove? No. There is no real way the average person can share smell. It just is not done.
Now, if someone young enterprising man or woman came out with a "camera for smells," would it be popular, apart from prank-loving teenagers who would abuse it to it's full potential? I don't know. Have there been studies done? Is there a market for smell capturing? It seems to me like there's a market for everything. Surely there must be for this.
We live in a day and age of unbridled technological advancement. We have the most clarity in motion capture that we have ever seen before. Even high-definition is getting high-definition upgrades. We can communicate with friends and family all over the globe, just as much as if they were by us face-to-face. And as consumers, we can take pictures to capture sight. We can use audio recorders to capture sound. We can taste. We can touch. But smell? There is no way we can share smell. At all.
The closest way is smelling scents, whether in candles, perfume or air fresheners. These manufactured smells help to share an array of scents, like vanilla, cinnamon, or "skin renewal," whatever that smells like. (That's actually the title of my after shave. I bought it because I thought it smelled nice.) (More parenthesis: Olfaction is the technical term referring to the sense of smell.) We can buy these scents, made diligently in hard-working labs across the globe. But can the average consumer bottle a scent? Can we capture the smell of homemade pizza sauce cooking on the stove? No. There is no real way the average person can share smell. It just is not done.
Now, if someone young enterprising man or woman came out with a "camera for smells," would it be popular, apart from prank-loving teenagers who would abuse it to it's full potential? I don't know. Have there been studies done? Is there a market for smell capturing? It seems to me like there's a market for everything. Surely there must be for this.
I might be a visionary
I had the strangest form of Deja Vu the other day. I was on set at a movie, as an extra. While in the holding room, they were telling which extras would be needed in a scene, and which ones would not. Then, being seated, I saw how everything looked in the room, and I recalled the dialogue and it felt like a dream I had years ago.
That is to say, that afternoon felt like the realization of a dream I had years and years ago.
How's that for a way to kickoff your weekend?
That is to say, that afternoon felt like the realization of a dream I had years and years ago.
How's that for a way to kickoff your weekend?
Just some more random thoughts
- I saw the new Indiana Jones movie. I enjoyed most of the movie, but not the movie as a whole, if that makes sense to you. The ending really was stupid. It was a great ride, right up until they entered the room. And even though they were only in for about twenty seconds, this movie has single-handedly killed the monkey. The monkey will no longer be popular for at least a year, guaranteed. Also, drop out of school IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE SPOILER WARNING.
- I am considering adding more computer classes to my expensive college education. I'm also thinking that there might be more for me, creatively, as a producer, rather than just a "normal" journalist. But it's the beginning of the week. Talk to me about my career plans on Saturday.
-M.J. moved on Friday. I was scheduled to work 11-8 that day. But I decided it would be a nice surprise for me to take night off and then come and help finish moving him into the apartment. Except when I got home, he was already moved in. So I spent that night tearing up his old carpet. True story.
- Maybe I need to empty my cache or something, but YouTube has been acting really slow for me lately. All other online video players (the less popular ones) work absolutely fine.
- I will get my own room in just a couple of days.
- Let's talk school again. You know how many students you talk to go through a phase in their life where they go, I hate school I just want to get out into the workforce and become, like, a member of society, like, you know? I'm kind of in that phase right now. I've applied to more jobs than I could ever remember. Jobs I'm not exactly qualified for, either. But it feels good to apply. Really good. It's a sense of accomplishment all on it's own. I wish I could get a job where I just applied for jobs, for me, every day. And I would rarely get hired. I would just apply for any job posted onto the internet. I would love that.
- I've hit a snag with one of my fiction projects. (You know, the ones I just plan, but never write?) I want to encompass lots of my church experiences into a single story. And at first I thought about a group of friends who would visit three or four churches, and then just talk about them over dinner. Nice, simple, understated. But then I began to worry that the characters I had might be too compelling that they take away from all the church stuff. So then I cut it down to one man, but now it's really lonely. And I'm not comfortable with just two or three people, at least, not any characters I've created yet.
- Did I mention some of the jobs I've applied to are out of state? I have no clue financially what I'd do if I got offered a job, but I'd be grateful for the opportunity. Especially if I got a job in the Village in NYC, or in Ojai, CA. The Ohio job would be closer to home, though, so I could visit on holidays.
- I've been playing tennis and bowling every week this year. I'm not very good at either - tennis especially, but it is a lot of fun.
- I am considering adding more computer classes to my expensive college education. I'm also thinking that there might be more for me, creatively, as a producer, rather than just a "normal" journalist. But it's the beginning of the week. Talk to me about my career plans on Saturday.
-M.J. moved on Friday. I was scheduled to work 11-8 that day. But I decided it would be a nice surprise for me to take night off and then come and help finish moving him into the apartment. Except when I got home, he was already moved in. So I spent that night tearing up his old carpet. True story.
- Maybe I need to empty my cache or something, but YouTube has been acting really slow for me lately. All other online video players (the less popular ones) work absolutely fine.
- I will get my own room in just a couple of days.
- Let's talk school again. You know how many students you talk to go through a phase in their life where they go, I hate school I just want to get out into the workforce and become, like, a member of society, like, you know? I'm kind of in that phase right now. I've applied to more jobs than I could ever remember. Jobs I'm not exactly qualified for, either. But it feels good to apply. Really good. It's a sense of accomplishment all on it's own. I wish I could get a job where I just applied for jobs, for me, every day. And I would rarely get hired. I would just apply for any job posted onto the internet. I would love that.
- I've hit a snag with one of my fiction projects. (You know, the ones I just plan, but never write?) I want to encompass lots of my church experiences into a single story. And at first I thought about a group of friends who would visit three or four churches, and then just talk about them over dinner. Nice, simple, understated. But then I began to worry that the characters I had might be too compelling that they take away from all the church stuff. So then I cut it down to one man, but now it's really lonely. And I'm not comfortable with just two or three people, at least, not any characters I've created yet.
- Did I mention some of the jobs I've applied to are out of state? I have no clue financially what I'd do if I got offered a job, but I'd be grateful for the opportunity. Especially if I got a job in the Village in NYC, or in Ojai, CA. The Ohio job would be closer to home, though, so I could visit on holidays.
- I've been playing tennis and bowling every week this year. I'm not very good at either - tennis especially, but it is a lot of fun.
Very soon
In about 2- weeks, I will have my own bedroom. Yes, I am terribly excited.
In odd news, Friday I got a burn while working (it's all but faded) that looked like a sort of square heart. It was terribly weird, and I showed it off to many people that night.
In odd news, Friday I got a burn while working (it's all but faded) that looked like a sort of square heart. It was terribly weird, and I showed it off to many people that night.
Uh...
I just saw what looked to be a very bright meteor.. inside my monitor. (My eye?) It started off as a small glimpse of light, got bigger and brighter, then moved across the screen. But my vision is still fine!
SO weird.
(And no, it wasn't an overlay ad. I checked.)
SO weird.
(And no, it wasn't an overlay ad. I checked.)
Wait, maybe I do know a friend...
I just finished watching Titan, A.E. on Hulu tonight. It was absolutely free, with limited commercials. (Inconveniently placed, however. You know how on cable, some networks like TNT just have a sort of auto-bot to play commercials at any time, no matter what context of a scene? Same deal here.)
It was a surprisingly good movie. Not great, but a solid good. And I spent all these years thinking it'd be a horrible movie. I started to watch it, expecting to watch something cheesy that I could laugh at. (It was co-written by Josh Whedon, so, I guess I should have expected some good!)
For those not familiar with the movie, it centers around a small group of humans who band together fifteen years after earth is destroyed by these creepy, indescribable aliens. (Seriously, I couldn't even comprehend them while seeing them. Simply amazing.) They are searching for Titan, a ship that holds the key to humanity's survival in a unfriendly universe of alien hostility.
I was watching the credits, because I have a general understanding that these hundreds of people worked on this movie for me to watch, so, I can spend seven minutes reading their names. And at the end what should appear but:
"The events and characters depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental."
SERIOUSLY? Because my friend Phil's planet blew up and he had to go searching for this one spaceship. Oh no, wait. That never happened.
Thank you, legal department. I'm glad to know the story creators didn't unduly rip off this story from some person's real life experience.
It was a surprisingly good movie. Not great, but a solid good. And I spent all these years thinking it'd be a horrible movie. I started to watch it, expecting to watch something cheesy that I could laugh at. (It was co-written by Josh Whedon, so, I guess I should have expected some good!)
For those not familiar with the movie, it centers around a small group of humans who band together fifteen years after earth is destroyed by these creepy, indescribable aliens. (Seriously, I couldn't even comprehend them while seeing them. Simply amazing.) They are searching for Titan, a ship that holds the key to humanity's survival in a unfriendly universe of alien hostility.
I was watching the credits, because I have a general understanding that these hundreds of people worked on this movie for me to watch, so, I can spend seven minutes reading their names. And at the end what should appear but:
"The events and characters depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental."SERIOUSLY? Because my friend Phil's planet blew up and he had to go searching for this one spaceship. Oh no, wait. That never happened.
Thank you, legal department. I'm glad to know the story creators didn't unduly rip off this story from some person's real life experience.
Making Them Real
When I'm in a boring lecture, or have some major time to kill, I plan fiction. Yes, this is a terrible cliche for a young budding writer: I'm writing a television series. No, I don't write in coffee shops or get inspiration from local poetry. However terrible the cliche is, the fact is, I'm planning a series (among other projects) in my mind.
Last year, this was a movie, surrounding a group of villains. The characters had incredible potential and I wanted to tell all of their story. Then I thought, maybe a mini-series. But focusing on just the bad guys forever wouldn't make for much fun. There needed to be a moral anchor. So I came up with some good guys. The good guys started to have more and more stories, and eventually, I had enough stories to fill up 23 episodes. I then reworked some other concepts I had floating around in my head and made them future seasons of the show.
The problem I had, though, is that the main cast of heroes never popped out at me. So last night, I killed them all. I took a new piece of paper, baby name web sites open, and I created a whole new slate of characters. I came up with a nice long backstory to the organization that these people work at. And now, these characters feel so incredibly alive. I can see them working together in the office, I can see the person with the most seniority sighing as the newbie tries to figure their way around the room. I can see the office romance.
And instead of trying to create characters that were as fantastic and epic as my villains for season one, I focused on creating good guys that were as real and relatable as possible. I know that sounds basic and fundamental, but after developing these bad guys forever, I wanted people who could be their equals. But they are no longer equals. These villains are now scary because they are more powerful, more outstanding in every way. And we're left scared, just like our main characters.
The biggest change would be re-naming my main character. I went from Walt Diamond to Michael Christopher. Another character's last name changed from Recudes to Martinez. Another's went from Verdosky to Versele. These are more common last names, making them feel more familiar to first-timers.
To see an example of a back-story in progress, check out the main character's main facts:
Michael Jacob Christopher, II
Graduated 3rd in his class from Yonkers River High School
Bachelor's Degree in Information Technologies from M.I.T.
Masters in Diplomacy, Harvard
5 years in the Marines
2 years on the Council for Agricultural Research
2 years, Diplomat to Canada for Agricultural Research and Technologies
4 years, F.B.I. Special Information Officer
2 years, F.B.I. Senior Intelligence
Present: Chief Intelligence Officer, Special Investigative Case Unit, F.B.I.
CASTING CALL: Well-researched, smart, down to earth. Likes a good joke, even if he rarely tells one himself. Mediator at heart, willing to fight when necessary. Content to stay with any jobs, feels need to prove himself constantly.
DIVORCED: Married Rita Recudes. Divorced after seven years. Rita re-married wealthy Senator Baker. Baker was assassinated six months later. Michael was involved in investigative task unit, which is withholding sensitive information about the investigation from Rita.
..... Don't worry. I also spent some energy applying for other jobs. :)
Last year, this was a movie, surrounding a group of villains. The characters had incredible potential and I wanted to tell all of their story. Then I thought, maybe a mini-series. But focusing on just the bad guys forever wouldn't make for much fun. There needed to be a moral anchor. So I came up with some good guys. The good guys started to have more and more stories, and eventually, I had enough stories to fill up 23 episodes. I then reworked some other concepts I had floating around in my head and made them future seasons of the show.
The problem I had, though, is that the main cast of heroes never popped out at me. So last night, I killed them all. I took a new piece of paper, baby name web sites open, and I created a whole new slate of characters. I came up with a nice long backstory to the organization that these people work at. And now, these characters feel so incredibly alive. I can see them working together in the office, I can see the person with the most seniority sighing as the newbie tries to figure their way around the room. I can see the office romance.
And instead of trying to create characters that were as fantastic and epic as my villains for season one, I focused on creating good guys that were as real and relatable as possible. I know that sounds basic and fundamental, but after developing these bad guys forever, I wanted people who could be their equals. But they are no longer equals. These villains are now scary because they are more powerful, more outstanding in every way. And we're left scared, just like our main characters.
The biggest change would be re-naming my main character. I went from Walt Diamond to Michael Christopher. Another character's last name changed from Recudes to Martinez. Another's went from Verdosky to Versele. These are more common last names, making them feel more familiar to first-timers.
To see an example of a back-story in progress, check out the main character's main facts:
Michael Jacob Christopher, II
Graduated 3rd in his class from Yonkers River High School
Bachelor's Degree in Information Technologies from M.I.T.
Masters in Diplomacy, Harvard
5 years in the Marines
2 years on the Council for Agricultural Research
2 years, Diplomat to Canada for Agricultural Research and Technologies
4 years, F.B.I. Special Information Officer
2 years, F.B.I. Senior Intelligence
Present: Chief Intelligence Officer, Special Investigative Case Unit, F.B.I.
CASTING CALL: Well-researched, smart, down to earth. Likes a good joke, even if he rarely tells one himself. Mediator at heart, willing to fight when necessary. Content to stay with any jobs, feels need to prove himself constantly.
DIVORCED: Married Rita Recudes. Divorced after seven years. Rita re-married wealthy Senator Baker. Baker was assassinated six months later. Michael was involved in investigative task unit, which is withholding sensitive information about the investigation from Rita.
..... Don't worry. I also spent some energy applying for other jobs. :)
Streaching those legs
I've noticed something about myself. When I bend over to pick something up, I usually lift one leg into the air a little bit. It's not like I do a ballerina split or anything, but my foot comes off the ground. Now, I don't know if that's normal or not, but I've decided to see what it's like to force myself to keep both feet on the ground. And you know what? It's tough! I'm using muscles for tasks that I didn't use for before, and, well, it makes things a tiny big more challenging. Again, I don't know if either way is good or bad, but for the sake of changing things up, it's been very interesting to see and monitor what I do, and feel. (If any of that made sense.)
Coming to you from the future
Blogger is currently beta-testing a feature that will allow automatically posts a new blog at scheduled times. So I can write up a post and then tell it to post it Friday at noon, and it will do so. How cool is that?
This is what happens when I don't take a Sunday nap
I have been confused all week so far, and it's only Tuesday. On Monday I thought it was Wednesday, on Tuesday I keep thinking it was Thursday. When I remember what day it actually is, it's almost like gaining half a week. I guess.
Fever
Is it a rule that jazz stations must play a cover of "Fever" every hour? Because it sounds that way. Also, jazz covers of Beatles songs make me unexpectedly happy.
I'll be your server today
I started waiting tables at my place of employment. It is incredible.
The blogs for The Collegiate will start soon. I am looking forward to this launch. I will post about that when it happens.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is a perfect Monday night show: stupid, implausible and somewhat entertaining. Summer Glau totally makes the show, though. Her comic timing is perfect.
Prediction: Some people on American Idol who did well in auditions will not do good in Hollywood - and everyone will be surprised.
I am going to try to remain publicly apolitical this election cycle. Send me an invite to support candidate A or B on Facebook, I will turn it down.
Our family cat now likes to sit on my desk, blocking my view of the laptop while I am typing, then appears offended when I move it to the side. Very annoying.
Why is it a penny for your thoughts, but you put in your own two cents?
The blogs for The Collegiate will start soon. I am looking forward to this launch. I will post about that when it happens.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is a perfect Monday night show: stupid, implausible and somewhat entertaining. Summer Glau totally makes the show, though. Her comic timing is perfect.
Prediction: Some people on American Idol who did well in auditions will not do good in Hollywood - and everyone will be surprised.
I am going to try to remain publicly apolitical this election cycle. Send me an invite to support candidate A or B on Facebook, I will turn it down.
Our family cat now likes to sit on my desk, blocking my view of the laptop while I am typing, then appears offended when I move it to the side. Very annoying.
Why is it a penny for your thoughts, but you put in your own two cents?
Adjusting
The new semester began at Grand Rapids Community College. I am once again working on The Collegiate, this time having the official title of Web Design Editor. (I'm an editor!!) I am also taking other classes which I hope are not too intense, because I hope I can just pour my heart and soul into the paper. (Well, parts of them, at any rate.)
One of the ways I will be doing that is by writing a TV blog for the web site. More on that when it launches.
My desktop computer died. I am without all of my music. John was able to get me some of my music from his computer, and I have what is on my MP3 player. But that new James Dooley music? It's in a hard drive that I cannot access right now. I am very sad. (I will access it later, when I get a new desktop in a couple of months.)
One thing about losing all my documents is losing all my documents. I had some word files set up for random things; assorted fiction (both good and kind of really bad), rants and raves that I did not necessarily want to post but am saving for a great tell-all-book, and other miscellaneous files.
I am using a laptop right now (it is the property of GRCC, for school work). Thank goodness I can hook my mouse up to it; the laptop mouse structure is not ideal. (Ctrl + button = right click? How inconvenient!)
I like the fall semester better than winter. I have had a full summer off, am recharged and ready to take on something new. The weather is nice and rejuvenating every day. With the winter semester, I get a couple of weeks off, but thanks to Michigan winters, it comes with gray, cold days. There is approximately four hours of sunshine between December and March. If anyone wonders why the West Michigan community is so cranky, it is because we have all developed S.A.D. The snow is pretty for about three hours after it falls, then the beauty fades away and it becomes an eyesore. Luckily for people who like snow, we tend to still have about two feet around April.
January is not even halfway done and I have heard that some stores have begun putting their spring clothes out already. If you want an ugly bright pastel polo to wear during a February blizzard, you are in luck.
My harder classes have also tended to be in the winter. Or, classes that I did not much care for, compared to other classes. (Philosophy, algebra, Spanish, biology, among a few others) This year I am taking Journalism II, Intro to Acting, Survey of Mass Media and Interpersonal Communications. We will see if I actually like this semester or if I will be a walking mass of self pity for the next sixteen weeks. (Perhaps both, actually.)
I wonder if a year at a community college newspaper is enough experience to apply for an internship?
American Idol starts again this week. I cannot wait. Without 24 or Heroes on this season, I need a show that I watch obsessively but absolutely hate every week.
Cloverfield comes out this upcoming weekend. It is about a monster that attacks New York City. It has been hyped to death, almost to Snakes on a Plane-levels of insanity. I am SO there opening weekend.
But, remember, online hype does not translate into real-world blockbuster results. See, Snakes on a Plane, Howard Dean's 2004 primary push. (I'd make a comment about this year's crop, but we haven't even gotten through Super Tuesday, so such a comment would be unfair to Fred Thompson. Or Ron Paul. Or Mike Gravel, whose YouTube video I adore so much. If only 13-year-olds who eat up viral videos could vote!)
I think it would be funny to come up with a movie script about shopping for a new church. (That is one of the documents I cannot access right now.) I have enough experiences personally visiting different churches, I'm sure others can add a lot. I would love to include a church that plays The Old Rugged Cross every single week, a hip mega church, an old stuffy church and a charismatic church. The contrasts would be terrific. And the main characters would be well-versed in fast talk - think Gilmore Girls going church shopping! It would be funny. (Do not worry... ultimately the script is mushy enough were all churches have redeeming qualities - even if I think one or two do not, as happens to be my opinion in real life - so as to not condemn the church universal.)
I now get the FOX Business Network through my QAM tuner. (Thanks for not encrypting the channel! I heart you, channel provider.) I now also get the Outdoor network, which is ten times worse than you think it could be.
I am becoming addicted to Sell This House on A&E. I love the fact that the show itself seems to be low budget, so many room innovations wind up being +/- $100, which would be closer to what would be fiscally prudent! (Here's looking at you, Trading Spaces.) However, what kind of stupid are the (probably staged) open house shoppers? If you do not like the color of the walls, paint them! The clutter, et al, will be gone when you move in. Look at the room itself, the space, and what YOU can do with it! Not just what is being done now.
I think that's about it for now.
One of the ways I will be doing that is by writing a TV blog for the web site. More on that when it launches.
My desktop computer died. I am without all of my music. John was able to get me some of my music from his computer, and I have what is on my MP3 player. But that new James Dooley music? It's in a hard drive that I cannot access right now. I am very sad. (I will access it later, when I get a new desktop in a couple of months.)
One thing about losing all my documents is losing all my documents. I had some word files set up for random things; assorted fiction (both good and kind of really bad), rants and raves that I did not necessarily want to post but am saving for a great tell-all-book, and other miscellaneous files.
I am using a laptop right now (it is the property of GRCC, for school work). Thank goodness I can hook my mouse up to it; the laptop mouse structure is not ideal. (Ctrl + button = right click? How inconvenient!)
I like the fall semester better than winter. I have had a full summer off, am recharged and ready to take on something new. The weather is nice and rejuvenating every day. With the winter semester, I get a couple of weeks off, but thanks to Michigan winters, it comes with gray, cold days. There is approximately four hours of sunshine between December and March. If anyone wonders why the West Michigan community is so cranky, it is because we have all developed S.A.D. The snow is pretty for about three hours after it falls, then the beauty fades away and it becomes an eyesore. Luckily for people who like snow, we tend to still have about two feet around April.
January is not even halfway done and I have heard that some stores have begun putting their spring clothes out already. If you want an ugly bright pastel polo to wear during a February blizzard, you are in luck.
My harder classes have also tended to be in the winter. Or, classes that I did not much care for, compared to other classes. (Philosophy, algebra, Spanish, biology, among a few others) This year I am taking Journalism II, Intro to Acting, Survey of Mass Media and Interpersonal Communications. We will see if I actually like this semester or if I will be a walking mass of self pity for the next sixteen weeks. (Perhaps both, actually.)
I wonder if a year at a community college newspaper is enough experience to apply for an internship?
American Idol starts again this week. I cannot wait. Without 24 or Heroes on this season, I need a show that I watch obsessively but absolutely hate every week.
Cloverfield comes out this upcoming weekend. It is about a monster that attacks New York City. It has been hyped to death, almost to Snakes on a Plane-levels of insanity. I am SO there opening weekend.
But, remember, online hype does not translate into real-world blockbuster results. See, Snakes on a Plane, Howard Dean's 2004 primary push. (I'd make a comment about this year's crop, but we haven't even gotten through Super Tuesday, so such a comment would be unfair to Fred Thompson. Or Ron Paul. Or Mike Gravel, whose YouTube video I adore so much. If only 13-year-olds who eat up viral videos could vote!)
I think it would be funny to come up with a movie script about shopping for a new church. (That is one of the documents I cannot access right now.) I have enough experiences personally visiting different churches, I'm sure others can add a lot. I would love to include a church that plays The Old Rugged Cross every single week, a hip mega church, an old stuffy church and a charismatic church. The contrasts would be terrific. And the main characters would be well-versed in fast talk - think Gilmore Girls going church shopping! It would be funny. (Do not worry... ultimately the script is mushy enough were all churches have redeeming qualities - even if I think one or two do not, as happens to be my opinion in real life - so as to not condemn the church universal.)
I now get the FOX Business Network through my QAM tuner. (Thanks for not encrypting the channel! I heart you, channel provider.) I now also get the Outdoor network, which is ten times worse than you think it could be.
I am becoming addicted to Sell This House on A&E. I love the fact that the show itself seems to be low budget, so many room innovations wind up being +/- $100, which would be closer to what would be fiscally prudent! (Here's looking at you, Trading Spaces.) However, what kind of stupid are the (probably staged) open house shoppers? If you do not like the color of the walls, paint them! The clutter, et al, will be gone when you move in. Look at the room itself, the space, and what YOU can do with it! Not just what is being done now.
I think that's about it for now.
I'm even coming up with sweeps stunts
When I don't want to focus on homework, I work on stories. I've outlined a 4-part movie series before and have now moved on to a TV series. I have rough ideas for a few seasons and laid-out plans for a few more. (Same show, too!) And now I'm thinking of stuff that can happen in every individual episode. (Guest stars, too.)
I guess the good news is that by the time I'm done with college, I'll have a few spec scripts in my portfolio!
I guess the good news is that by the time I'm done with college, I'll have a few spec scripts in my portfolio!
I Always Thought It Was "Anita"
I just found out that in Disney's animated 101 Dalmations' that the lead female Dalmatian was named Perdita. I could have sworn it was Pongo and Anita.
A fun piece of music
- Even if ABC's Pushing Daisies is a terrific failure, just getting whimsical music like this piece will have made it all worthwhile. (I hope the music is really more Banjo-Kazooie-like than Edward Scissorhands, like has been reported. Listening to the track I can hear Kazooie going "hi-ya!"...)
- If final grades were to be handed in TODAY, I would really not pass Spanish II. Although, that can still change, and will change, and oh my word I hope it changes!
- The word "anymore" is only used in a negative sense. For instance, we say: I can't do it anymore, whereas we don't say I can do it anymore. There's no real silver lining in this, honestly.
- I now have a full, working copy of Microsoft Office 2007, that you might have figured out from my last post or three. I can now use Word (!) and make PowerPoint presentations, create a resumé and design business cards. (To answer your questions, my resumé is half done and I'm still not sure how I want to design my business cards. I know!)
- I have taken/am taking a lot of classes from the Humanities. And I'm more of a Social Sciences person, I think. ¿Isn't that uninteresting?
- If final grades were to be handed in TODAY, I would really not pass Spanish II. Although, that can still change, and will change, and oh my word I hope it changes!
- The word "anymore" is only used in a negative sense. For instance, we say: I can't do it anymore, whereas we don't say I can do it anymore. There's no real silver lining in this, honestly.
- I now have a full, working copy of Microsoft Office 2007, that you might have figured out from my last post or three. I can now use Word (!) and make PowerPoint presentations, create a resumé and design business cards. (To answer your questions, my resumé is half done and I'm still not sure how I want to design my business cards. I know!)
- I have taken/am taking a lot of classes from the Humanities. And I'm more of a Social Sciences person, I think. ¿Isn't that uninteresting?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
