The following is an actual conversation I had this morning. The screen names have been changed to avoid IM spam.
(11:14:26) firesetterninja: I miss my dichotomy studies.
(11:15:07) firesetterninja: there's still a big huge comm geek inside me just waiting for the opportunity break out at a moment
(11:15:47) elvee: At what point did "dichotomy" become a real word? Seriously, this was not a term invented by hunter-gatherer society.
(11:16:29) firesetterninja: how about when we moved beyond the hunter gatherer society? :-) Burke argues that the use of the negative was the point when this all changed.
(11:16:39) firesetterninja: because the negative does not exist in nature.
(11:16:52) firesetterninja: it was at that point that we began to think in the abstract
(11:17:37) elvee: There was a point in human history when the brain evolved to think in abstract concepts.
(11:17:44) firesetterninja: I dont know if that was the answer you wanted.
(11:18:01) firesetterninja: exactly. the closest we can pinpoint is to the understanding of the "not"
(11:18:16) firesetterninja: which stood as the basis for dichotomy and metaphor
(11:18:27) elvee: That makes sense, actually.
(11:18:30) firesetterninja: and where would we be in abstraction without that?
(11:18:52) firesetterninja: yes! I RULE! I just explained burke to an animator. :-)
(11:19:06) elvee: I'd say that we wouldn't have abstraction, but that would be a negative, so I fear my brain is tied in knots.
(11:19:14) elvee: Good job. You get a cookie.
(11:19:14) firesetterninja: now, this all ties in with perspective by incongruity....but that's a whole other lecture. :-)
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Friday, November 19, 2004
The work here seems to have let up a bit. I'm ready for this semester to be over so that I can get on with something educational and worthwhile. Narrative theory makes my intestines bleed, but everything else is going along well enough. I think Human Computer Interaction is my favorite class, even though I don't talk much and I stumble through the material I present as if I've never had any sort of public speaking experience. Creativity as a class is a little grating lately; the last few guest speakers have been very boring. The work outside of creativity class is fun, though. I'm working on making lip-synch animations for puppets made out of dusters called "dust-os". Digital storytelling class is good enough, but kind of pointless. I got to talk about video games while we were on the subject the other day, then it was back to things I really don't care that much about. I'm not opposed to the material, but I really can't make myself care about usage studies of a handful of NPR station websites. My job is getting a little more hectic now. I'm finally moved in to a new office with working internet and a festive purple wall. The library video I shot a few weeks ago looks like crap, so I'll be reshooting after break. The problem was that I did the whole thing myself after I told people that I know how to shoot video. Suddenly I'm in charge of shooting and editing a video tour of the library all alone. Robert Rodriguez did less on El Mariachi. This time I get to have lights set up and my boss will direct, so I don't have to do everything myself.
I saw Squeaky today, eating in the atrium and talking louder than anyone really has to outside of the base of Niagara falls. I don't know why I'm so fascinated with this little misanthrope. Maybe it's his oddly shaped bald spot surrounded by preposterously curly hair, maybe it's that he reminds me of a duck/rodent love child, maybe it's because he wanted to start a heated argument in the only swanky bar in town. I just don't know.
Outside of school, things are good, or so I'm told- I wouldn't know. For whatever reason, everyone I hang out with left for the weekend. Not left as in Indy or Cleveland, left as in boarded an airplane and crossed several state lines. Tomorrow night I'm going to see a concert at the Heorat. Good bye, lungs, liver, and brain cells; I wanna rock.
I saw Squeaky today, eating in the atrium and talking louder than anyone really has to outside of the base of Niagara falls. I don't know why I'm so fascinated with this little misanthrope. Maybe it's his oddly shaped bald spot surrounded by preposterously curly hair, maybe it's that he reminds me of a duck/rodent love child, maybe it's because he wanted to start a heated argument in the only swanky bar in town. I just don't know.
Outside of school, things are good, or so I'm told- I wouldn't know. For whatever reason, everyone I hang out with left for the weekend. Not left as in Indy or Cleveland, left as in boarded an airplane and crossed several state lines. Tomorrow night I'm going to see a concert at the Heorat. Good bye, lungs, liver, and brain cells; I wanna rock.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
So, what can I say about the election that hasn't been said already? I'm no fan of most pundits from any side, and I'm really not all that well-versed in politics domestic or foreign. As appalled as I am at the result, I do see how it happened.
A topic that doesn't come up quite as often as it should is the growing divide in America between the mid-to-upper-class and the lower class. The middle class from the past forty years has split noticeably in the past decade, mostly since 1999/2000 and the start of the recession. Manufacturing and skilled labor jobs have been moving out of our borders for years, irregardless of who sits in the oval office or policy, be it Reaganomics or NAFTA. Most of these jobs were based in small towns, where the atmosphere is conducive to small business with low overhead and return. With diminished local economy, small towns have fallen apart. The people are still there, though, because for many it's all they know. Moving to somewhere more viable isn't an option for the older generation that live on the same street they were born on.
The social stigma of being poor in a small town is perhaps a larger factor. The popular vernacular refers to them as derisively as "white trash," and as affectionately as "redneck." I'm no better, I admit. The average person in a small town dresses sensibly and purely for utility on a normal day, never like anything from Vogue. Urban popular culture shifts with the wind and the internet. Small towns, as a rule, do not. Tradition and simplicity are valued by a fiercely proud manufacturing class. With the loss of manufacturing and small businesses, a large degree of pride and purpose were lost as well. Agriculture has been in similar shape. Young people are urged to escape from small towns to pursue opportunity, assuming they can afford it. Often the only employment to be found is at large national chain retailers. Workers dress in cute little uniforms and adhere to dehumanizing policies under perma-day lights. This is a far cry from the locally owned furniture factory where the foreman knew each employee by name.
With these facets of small town culture fading away, it seems that the people in these areas have fallen back on the one thing that cannot be exported away: the church. Poverty and religion have always gone hand-in-hand because of the solidarity found in both. Evangelical Christianity has swelled to enormous levels all over the country, and I believe that this is the reason. The community within this establishment is some of the last vestige of humanity to be found in some of these small communities.
This is exactly where the right wing found traction. Historically the aristocracy has avoided contact with what they view as peasantry, often with disastrous results. The French Revolution comes to mind. The American ruling class has been different since the revolution, though. They know where their labor comes from, and where their soldiers come from. The American Revolution was, as my old history professor put it: "a rich man's war, a poor man's fight." The Republican Party plays this angle well historically, dressing up as common folk when they have to.
Many in the fifty-one percent of voters claimed to have voted based on "values." These things have nothing to do with how to run a country, nothing to do with the economy or health care or education; nothing to do with the prosperity of a nation. Have small town communities really become so disconnected from the rest of the world? If so, then this is a problem. This means that the majority of America is disconnected like this. They voted for what they see as the survival of their way of life, never mind what else was riding on the ballot.
I don't know how to fix this, but something must be done. A large portion of the population has become economically obsolete, but it is still important to recognize them as human and therefore possessing potential. Apparently, just paying them lip service is enough to become president.
A topic that doesn't come up quite as often as it should is the growing divide in America between the mid-to-upper-class and the lower class. The middle class from the past forty years has split noticeably in the past decade, mostly since 1999/2000 and the start of the recession. Manufacturing and skilled labor jobs have been moving out of our borders for years, irregardless of who sits in the oval office or policy, be it Reaganomics or NAFTA. Most of these jobs were based in small towns, where the atmosphere is conducive to small business with low overhead and return. With diminished local economy, small towns have fallen apart. The people are still there, though, because for many it's all they know. Moving to somewhere more viable isn't an option for the older generation that live on the same street they were born on.
The social stigma of being poor in a small town is perhaps a larger factor. The popular vernacular refers to them as derisively as "white trash," and as affectionately as "redneck." I'm no better, I admit. The average person in a small town dresses sensibly and purely for utility on a normal day, never like anything from Vogue. Urban popular culture shifts with the wind and the internet. Small towns, as a rule, do not. Tradition and simplicity are valued by a fiercely proud manufacturing class. With the loss of manufacturing and small businesses, a large degree of pride and purpose were lost as well. Agriculture has been in similar shape. Young people are urged to escape from small towns to pursue opportunity, assuming they can afford it. Often the only employment to be found is at large national chain retailers. Workers dress in cute little uniforms and adhere to dehumanizing policies under perma-day lights. This is a far cry from the locally owned furniture factory where the foreman knew each employee by name.
With these facets of small town culture fading away, it seems that the people in these areas have fallen back on the one thing that cannot be exported away: the church. Poverty and religion have always gone hand-in-hand because of the solidarity found in both. Evangelical Christianity has swelled to enormous levels all over the country, and I believe that this is the reason. The community within this establishment is some of the last vestige of humanity to be found in some of these small communities.
This is exactly where the right wing found traction. Historically the aristocracy has avoided contact with what they view as peasantry, often with disastrous results. The French Revolution comes to mind. The American ruling class has been different since the revolution, though. They know where their labor comes from, and where their soldiers come from. The American Revolution was, as my old history professor put it: "a rich man's war, a poor man's fight." The Republican Party plays this angle well historically, dressing up as common folk when they have to.
Many in the fifty-one percent of voters claimed to have voted based on "values." These things have nothing to do with how to run a country, nothing to do with the economy or health care or education; nothing to do with the prosperity of a nation. Have small town communities really become so disconnected from the rest of the world? If so, then this is a problem. This means that the majority of America is disconnected like this. They voted for what they see as the survival of their way of life, never mind what else was riding on the ballot.
I don't know how to fix this, but something must be done. A large portion of the population has become economically obsolete, but it is still important to recognize them as human and therefore possessing potential. Apparently, just paying them lip service is enough to become president.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Have you ever heard the phrase "busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest?" That would be me. Here's a recap of things that are worth mentioning.
Halloween was fun. I dressed as Alex from A Clockwork Orange, complete with codpiece. I've never been punched in the balls so many times in one night. The party host hit me, strangers hit me, Gerry hit me, I hit me, it was not the sort of thing I envisioned a year ago when I decided to come here. It was multicultural too- kids from Japan were lined up to cheapshot me in the fellas at Gerry's friend's house. Gad, what a weird night. The coolest costumes: Flint from GI Joe, and a girl with a post-it note on her that said "Hello, my name is Dave Coulier."
My election reaction blog post is kind of long, so I'll post it later.
I'm tentatively looking for a creative project advisor now. I've been carefully evaluating people, and I'm quite sure of one comittee member. The rest will come in time. I'll be pretty low-maintainance, so I just need somebody who is cool with new media and knows production pretty well. More on this as it develops.
I haven't seen Squeaky lately, which is for the best. I have learned that other people have seen possums outside my window on different occasaions, which is forboding.
Here's something my family will enjoy. By family, I mean my brother, but others might get a chuckle. Hamlet's soliloquy for socks: link
As I'm typing this, there's a geeky guy at the computer on the other side of the table helping a cute girl with photoshop. I'm quietly cheering for him.
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving already. You know the semester is bad when I look forward to a break. This is because I'm in the vaccuum of unapplied theory hell. If it weren't for the dust-o's project, I'd be climbing the belltower with my hat backwards as we speak.
Halloween was fun. I dressed as Alex from A Clockwork Orange, complete with codpiece. I've never been punched in the balls so many times in one night. The party host hit me, strangers hit me, Gerry hit me, I hit me, it was not the sort of thing I envisioned a year ago when I decided to come here. It was multicultural too- kids from Japan were lined up to cheapshot me in the fellas at Gerry's friend's house. Gad, what a weird night. The coolest costumes: Flint from GI Joe, and a girl with a post-it note on her that said "Hello, my name is Dave Coulier."
My election reaction blog post is kind of long, so I'll post it later.
I'm tentatively looking for a creative project advisor now. I've been carefully evaluating people, and I'm quite sure of one comittee member. The rest will come in time. I'll be pretty low-maintainance, so I just need somebody who is cool with new media and knows production pretty well. More on this as it develops.
I haven't seen Squeaky lately, which is for the best. I have learned that other people have seen possums outside my window on different occasaions, which is forboding.
Here's something my family will enjoy. By family, I mean my brother, but others might get a chuckle. Hamlet's soliloquy for socks: link
As I'm typing this, there's a geeky guy at the computer on the other side of the table helping a cute girl with photoshop. I'm quietly cheering for him.
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving already. You know the semester is bad when I look forward to a break. This is because I'm in the vaccuum of unapplied theory hell. If it weren't for the dust-o's project, I'd be climbing the belltower with my hat backwards as we speak.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
I'm still formulating my opinion about the election, but here's a nice article I found that helps put things into perspective. link
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
As of this post:
CNN projects: Bush in the lead.
Fox news projects: Open season on A-rabs 'n civil rights queers!
I project: "cancel my subscription to the resurrection; send my credentials to the house of detention"
I care about this election quite a bit more than I've cared in past years. I worry about the future of the country, because I see pictures of my boss's daughters every day at work, with their goofy little kid grins, and I think about the country that they'll grow up in. I'm kind of okay with America falling apart, as I take an optimistic view of it. The Brittish empire fell pretty hard and fast, and England eventually found it's footing again. Every country goes through an asshole phase (Germany, Italy, England, Germany again, N Korea, Russia, N Korea again?), ultimately falling from whatever superpower status they had. But they recover eventually. I've been screwed over by world events well out of my control in the past few years, and yet I think I'll be okay because I at least got a running start during the last economic and cultural boom. I'm probably over reacting, but I needed to vent that, hence the purpose of a blog.
CNN projects: Bush in the lead.
Fox news projects: Open season on A-rabs 'n civil rights queers!
I project: "cancel my subscription to the resurrection; send my credentials to the house of detention"
I care about this election quite a bit more than I've cared in past years. I worry about the future of the country, because I see pictures of my boss's daughters every day at work, with their goofy little kid grins, and I think about the country that they'll grow up in. I'm kind of okay with America falling apart, as I take an optimistic view of it. The Brittish empire fell pretty hard and fast, and England eventually found it's footing again. Every country goes through an asshole phase (Germany, Italy, England, Germany again, N Korea, Russia, N Korea again?), ultimately falling from whatever superpower status they had. But they recover eventually. I've been screwed over by world events well out of my control in the past few years, and yet I think I'll be okay because I at least got a running start during the last economic and cultural boom. I'm probably over reacting, but I needed to vent that, hence the purpose of a blog.
I've tried twice to post in the past week, and both times the system screwed up. If this makes it, it'll be nothing short of a miracle. Not that it matters, though. North Korea could nuke us and the EM pulse would probably wipe out this blog. Don't blame me- I voted for Kodos.
I've got a paper due tomorrow for narrative theory, and I really don't like that class. It's not as bad as art history, but I really don't think I'm getting anything out of it but dent in my gpa. (I think I actually have to care about my gpa now, in order to stay in the program.) There's one old lady who talks in a bizarre meter and says "m-hm" repeatedly. It's like listening to that old Crash Test Dummies song in fast forward. I am encouraged by this, though. The third bullet point especially.
I've got some good stories from this past weekend that I'll try to post when I have time.
I've got a paper due tomorrow for narrative theory, and I really don't like that class. It's not as bad as art history, but I really don't think I'm getting anything out of it but dent in my gpa. (I think I actually have to care about my gpa now, in order to stay in the program.) There's one old lady who talks in a bizarre meter and says "m-hm" repeatedly. It's like listening to that old Crash Test Dummies song in fast forward. I am encouraged by this, though. The third bullet point especially.
I've got some good stories from this past weekend that I'll try to post when I have time.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Monday, October 18, 2004
Today's news will carry some measure of schadenfreude for my brother. The rest of you probably haven't known me as well or as long. I'm getting reading glasses. (I'll pause now, for Michael's friends to retrieve the defibrillator from the closet and start his heart again.) My vision is good, better than what the Air Force requires of jet pilots. However, I haven't been reading very well lately. This has probably been the case for quite a while, as the only materials I have been able to read at length are things that don't require prolonged focus on small print. Comic books, e-mail, and some magazines are easier because I can refocus my eyes periodically. In summary, only sub-grad level, or sub-Michelle. Making up new terms for things is fun.
I took a little side trip to the new instrument store on Jefferson. They have a nice selection of guitars and amps, as well as a lovely young woman who showed me a guitar and amp that I'm thinking about purchasing at some point. Well, sort of. The amp isn't that much, and it really sounds nice, but $230 is something I'm going to need this summer in Italy. The guitar is way out of my price range; Victory-class Star Destroyer expensive. It sounds fabulous, though, even in the hands of a hack like me. Maybe I'll focus my energies on concocting a scheme to tie this nice stuff in to my studies and get a grant for it. Yes, that's the ticket.
I took a little side trip to the new instrument store on Jefferson. They have a nice selection of guitars and amps, as well as a lovely young woman who showed me a guitar and amp that I'm thinking about purchasing at some point. Well, sort of. The amp isn't that much, and it really sounds nice, but $230 is something I'm going to need this summer in Italy. The guitar is way out of my price range; Victory-class Star Destroyer expensive. It sounds fabulous, though, even in the hands of a hack like me. Maybe I'll focus my energies on concocting a scheme to tie this nice stuff in to my studies and get a grant for it. Yes, that's the ticket.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
This is my first Fall break ever. USF didn't believe in such luxuries, but we did get a "reading day". I don't mind the break, considering how the semester has gone. It's been nothing but reading thus far, aside from my GA job. Sometimes the reading is important for class, but most of the time it's never discussed. Theory is all well and good, but I need some way to apply it or it goes in one ear and out the other like a TV commercial. What really sold me on the program was the tour I got last spring from my advisor. I liked his attitude, and I liked the building: a two-story toy box for super-powered AV equipment courtesy of a massive chunk of change from Lilly. The digital storytelling program is full of great people from several backgrounds, and I feel fortunate to have met them. With so much positive, I feel bad complaining that I'm bored and lost. I've been told that grad school is supposed to be a sort of do-it-yourself education. This would be great, if I had enough time to take any sort of initiative outside of my classes. Things look better in the long-term, as my course load will lighten and probably include something more technical. Ah well, end rant. The rest will do me good.
Friday, October 08, 2004
Last night I went to see Sarah Vowell read at Butler University. She was great, and I wrote down a few lines that made me laugh. They make more sense if you've read her books. For those of you who read nothing but Greek and Douglas Adams, or read only as much as you absolutely have to, here is what you need to know: the author loves history and pop culture, and often relates the two.
"I learned that John Kerry is descended from John Winthrop, which I found thrilling."
Speaking about the guilt that comes from being raised to be a nice girl, the "guilt that becomes narcissistic", she thinks about Pol Pot: "Whatever I've done, are there piles of skulls lying around? Most of the time, no."
"Assassinations are my Kevin Bacon" -referring to her ability to relate anything to a presidential assassination.
Comparing working at NPR to working at Pixar:"It's like a scratchy brown sweater vs a Cosby sweater."
It was an enjoyable evening. I got a signed copy of her first book, "Radio On", and even she was incredulous when I told her my name was Loyal. I had to spell it.
Today is my birthday. It's been a good day of web design work thus far. Well, that and blogging. I alternate back and forth. Tonight I'm going out to dinner with my friend Michelle, and later I'm going out with a huge gaggle of fools. A confederacy of fools? A murder of fools? Whatever. It'll be fun. I'll report the details that are appropriate for the internet tomorrow.
Check out these articles from McSweeney's. They made me laugh.
# # #
"I learned that John Kerry is descended from John Winthrop, which I found thrilling."
Speaking about the guilt that comes from being raised to be a nice girl, the "guilt that becomes narcissistic", she thinks about Pol Pot: "Whatever I've done, are there piles of skulls lying around? Most of the time, no."
"Assassinations are my Kevin Bacon" -referring to her ability to relate anything to a presidential assassination.
Comparing working at NPR to working at Pixar:"It's like a scratchy brown sweater vs a Cosby sweater."
It was an enjoyable evening. I got a signed copy of her first book, "Radio On", and even she was incredulous when I told her my name was Loyal. I had to spell it.
Today is my birthday. It's been a good day of web design work thus far. Well, that and blogging. I alternate back and forth. Tonight I'm going out to dinner with my friend Michelle, and later I'm going out with a huge gaggle of fools. A confederacy of fools? A murder of fools? Whatever. It'll be fun. I'll report the details that are appropriate for the internet tomorrow.
Check out these articles from McSweeney's. They made me laugh.
# # #
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Here is the news I wanted to post yesterday, but couldn't because I was busy. I got to take a tour of Paws Inc, the place where Garfield is drawn. As much as I tried to maintain my composure, I was giddy over getting to see the place. I used to read Garfield books and collect as much Garfield memorabilia as I could when I was younger, so getting to see all of this was really great. Doc was the tour guide. I'd seen him before a few years ago at the Castle Gallery show where I met Jim Davis (I sang what I could remember of the Abu-Dhabi song and he laughed). What really impressed me about the whole facility is that it's the family business. It's global and very successful, but it's run mostly by relatives.
I just read this- Sarah Vowell will be at Butler U tomorrow night at 7:30. She's one of my favorite authors, and she also did voice acting for Pixar's "The Incredibles." I'm pretty sure I can make that- I get off work at 5:30, but I might be able to knock off a little earlier. This geeks me out on a cerebral level.
I just read this- Sarah Vowell will be at Butler U tomorrow night at 7:30. She's one of my favorite authors, and she also did voice acting for Pixar's "The Incredibles." I'm pretty sure I can make that- I get off work at 5:30, but I might be able to knock off a little earlier. This geeks me out on a cerebral level.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
It's Tuesday, I'm hungry, and I really don't have time to blog now. But, I do have a couple of links I feel a strong need to post.
The visual thesaurus is probably something somebody is trying to sell, but the demo on the site is fun to mess around with. Little by little, hypertext is taking over, and I for one welcome our benevolent technological overlords. Please don't crush me.
A New Kind of Science, by Stephen Wolfram, is now online. The whole thing. The immense mass of it is capable of forming and supporting a life-sustaining atmosphere, given time. That's just how big it is.
More actual news tomorrow if I live through today.
The visual thesaurus is probably something somebody is trying to sell, but the demo on the site is fun to mess around with. Little by little, hypertext is taking over, and I for one welcome our benevolent technological overlords. Please don't crush me.
A New Kind of Science, by Stephen Wolfram, is now online. The whole thing. The immense mass of it is capable of forming and supporting a life-sustaining atmosphere, given time. That's just how big it is.
More actual news tomorrow if I live through today.
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Any big news I might have to post here has already been covered by my fellow bloggers. Gerry covered the season's end for the Cubs, and my brother posted this glorious news. Beyond shameless plugs for other blogs I love, there's really only one piece of blogworthy news left.
The other night, long after the sun had gone down, I was walking to my car to drive to Walmart. I was parked behind my building, near the windows of my single-bedroom subterranean. As I fumbled with my keys, I noticed motion in the shadows of the building behind a few plants. Neighborhood cats often walk past my window, so I assumed the slinking shadow to be feline. I called to the cat in the voice I reserve for animals smaller than a breadbox, but I could tell something was amiss. My eyes adjusted to the dark, and in the ambient orange glow of a street light half a block away, I saw the true beastly form of the creature under my window. A possum. Those of you who read this with any regularity may recall that I had a run-in with a possum last winter. I made a powerful enemy that cold day, not just in an ill-tempered rodent, but in a primal force of nature. The genetic memory of the north American possum is forever ingrained with the knowledge of "tall one, hurler of ice." We recognized each other, there in the night behind my apartment. He knows where I live, and we both know that there won't be any snow on the ground for at least a month or more, thus putting me at a marked disadvantage. This isn't over.
The other night, long after the sun had gone down, I was walking to my car to drive to Walmart. I was parked behind my building, near the windows of my single-bedroom subterranean. As I fumbled with my keys, I noticed motion in the shadows of the building behind a few plants. Neighborhood cats often walk past my window, so I assumed the slinking shadow to be feline. I called to the cat in the voice I reserve for animals smaller than a breadbox, but I could tell something was amiss. My eyes adjusted to the dark, and in the ambient orange glow of a street light half a block away, I saw the true beastly form of the creature under my window. A possum. Those of you who read this with any regularity may recall that I had a run-in with a possum last winter. I made a powerful enemy that cold day, not just in an ill-tempered rodent, but in a primal force of nature. The genetic memory of the north American possum is forever ingrained with the knowledge of "tall one, hurler of ice." We recognized each other, there in the night behind my apartment. He knows where I live, and we both know that there won't be any snow on the ground for at least a month or more, thus putting me at a marked disadvantage. This isn't over.
Monday, September 27, 2004
Gad, what a night. I fell asleep at 9:00 last night while reading a particularly boring chapter in my HCI book, only to wake an hour later in the stupor that commonly follows an impromptu nap on the couch. Backing up a bit, I am now the proud owner of my family's old family room couch and kitchen table with three chairs. My apartment is a feng-shui fever dream. Later on, I couldn't sleep for the life of me. I had tea with dinner, forgetting how much caffeine is in that stuff. I even tried reading from my HCI book, as that had worked before, but the next chapter was really interesting, so that got my brain working again. BUT! At about 4:30 in the morning, I dozed off a little bit and came up with an idea for my creative project animation. I stumbled over to my computer desk and typed out everything I could think of into a haphazard treatment of sorts, because I would have forgotten otherwise. It'll be a ton of work for one person, but it's something that I can do myself. I can't really relay the specifics yet, as I'm still figuring them out, but I plan to show it to my old Communications professor at USF, as I know she'll get it and give me good advice. It'll make sense soon, I hope.
Today has been a little different. I used to go on minimal sleep in undergrad because I had the solidarity of my sleep-deprived friends. I also had gen-ed classes to sleep in, so that helped too. No such luck now. I did see something cool, however. At lunchtime I walked over the student center and there were a bunch of promotional booths set up outside. They were all technology themed, but the coolest ones were a jeep outfitted with at least five different Nintendo Gamecubes and a tent full of guitars and effects emulators. The Nintendo jeep had buttons with pictures of classic characters in their original pixel glory. I picked out Mario and Bowser, grinning like a 24 year old third grader. I went to the guitar demo tent and I got to mess around with a $400 fx box and a $4,000 Gibson guitar. It needed tuning, but the tone quality was glorious. The guy in charge recommended an Epiphone, because it's a lot cheaper and the sound is comparable. It was great, though.
Today has been a little different. I used to go on minimal sleep in undergrad because I had the solidarity of my sleep-deprived friends. I also had gen-ed classes to sleep in, so that helped too. No such luck now. I did see something cool, however. At lunchtime I walked over the student center and there were a bunch of promotional booths set up outside. They were all technology themed, but the coolest ones were a jeep outfitted with at least five different Nintendo Gamecubes and a tent full of guitars and effects emulators. The Nintendo jeep had buttons with pictures of classic characters in their original pixel glory. I picked out Mario and Bowser, grinning like a 24 year old third grader. I went to the guitar demo tent and I got to mess around with a $400 fx box and a $4,000 Gibson guitar. It needed tuning, but the tone quality was glorious. The guy in charge recommended an Epiphone, because it's a lot cheaper and the sound is comparable. It was great, though.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
"And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them: Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning. Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities..."
-excerpt from Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago."
Gerry has informed me that the Cubs are currently ahead in the baseball wildcard race, which is cause for excitement. It reminded me of the Carl Sandburg poem quoted above, in which the poet also refers to Chicago as the "ciy of the big shoulders." That's where that moniker came from, if you ever wondered.
In my last post, I expressed some disdain for Flash. I still don't like it very much, but yesterday I used it to solve a problem on the forthcoming BSU teachers college website. (The current site, by the way, is not my doing. Whoever designed that monstrosity probably jumped off a bridge a la Javert in "Les Miserables".) The new site will feature randomly selected Flash graphics; a new one each time someone hits refresh. I didn't make the animations, but I did make the loader file in Flash to make them load randomly. Score one for cracker.
-excerpt from Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago."
Gerry has informed me that the Cubs are currently ahead in the baseball wildcard race, which is cause for excitement. It reminded me of the Carl Sandburg poem quoted above, in which the poet also refers to Chicago as the "ciy of the big shoulders." That's where that moniker came from, if you ever wondered.
In my last post, I expressed some disdain for Flash. I still don't like it very much, but yesterday I used it to solve a problem on the forthcoming BSU teachers college website. (The current site, by the way, is not my doing. Whoever designed that monstrosity probably jumped off a bridge a la Javert in "Les Miserables".) The new site will feature randomly selected Flash graphics; a new one each time someone hits refresh. I didn't make the animations, but I did make the loader file in Flash to make them load randomly. Score one for cracker.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Six months ago I was standing at a cash register watching yuppies graze stacks of bargain books. This was when I first wondered "what do you call an animator who doesn't animate?" I figured that I would solve this problem soon enough, as I was planning on enrollng at BSU in the Fall.
I've been here for a month, and I'm starting to wonder the same thing again. The closest thing I get to animation is a little flash project I'm troubleshooting at work. It's mildly amusing, but Flash is very dull and clunky compared to Maya. I'm told that there are computers on campus with Maya on them, just waiting for someone who knows how to use it. I'm typing from one of those machines now, actually, but it doesn't have Maya like I was told.
I've been here for a month, and I'm starting to wonder the same thing again. The closest thing I get to animation is a little flash project I'm troubleshooting at work. It's mildly amusing, but Flash is very dull and clunky compared to Maya. I'm told that there are computers on campus with Maya on them, just waiting for someone who knows how to use it. I'm typing from one of those machines now, actually, but it doesn't have Maya like I was told.
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Yarr! September(edit- September 19th) be "national talk like a pirate day!" I wish it wasn't on a Sunday, because I'd like to celebrate this particular day in narrative theory class. Arrr.
Here's a link to a stereoscopic image site with a novel twist- the images flicker back and forth to give the 3d effect. I need to experiment with this in Maya. http://ofwonder.com/blink.html (for some reason, blogger isn't displaying the toolbar to make the link in the text)
Also, the new trailer for Pixar's the Incredibles is online on the apple site.
Here's a link to a stereoscopic image site with a novel twist- the images flicker back and forth to give the 3d effect. I need to experiment with this in Maya. http://ofwonder.com/blink.html (for some reason, blogger isn't displaying the toolbar to make the link in the text)
Also, the new trailer for Pixar's the Incredibles is online on the apple site.
Friday, September 17, 2004
Three great CD releases are sneaking in under the radar in the next month or so. I already mentioned the new Tom Waits album, but two more also have me excited. The Black Keys just released their third album, which I promptly bought to celebrate my first check. Oh, the neighbors are going to love me for the next month and a half as I learn to play the new songs. Third is Billy Corgan's solo album, slated for a late October release. I'm not really holding my breath, as he is notorious for taking several months in the studio, but whenever it gets released I'll be frantically scurrying down to Best Buy to get my grubby mits on it.
Work is getting better and better. It turns out that the nice young woman who I met at the Heorat last week works in the office down the hall a couple days a week. She loves music, and the two CDs on her desk right now are my copy of the Breeders' Title TK, and Johnny Cash's American IV: the Man Comes Around. Great taste, I must say. Elsewhere around the office, I found out that my paycheck is delivered to me. This is after I walked all over creation yesterday trying to find it. Convenience. Today, I met the head of BSU marketing. He's a good guy, and that means something from me, as I typically hold marketing majors in similar esteem as middle school gym teachers. I first met him when I accidentally walked in on a meeting with him and my boss and my boss's boss. I wanted to buy a coke out of the refrigerator behind his chair, so his first impression of me was a tall guy with an iPod loping through the door and wedging in behind his chair to acquire a canned beverage. I was introduced by name and then as a student in the Digital Storytelling program. His affirmative answer, like so many others, said that he didn't know what that meant either. Later on, as I was saving my work and preparing to leave, he came in with my boss to tell us about his great idea for the video tour. Something new and innovative- computer animated tourguides! The user would have a choice of three fun characters to watch, and... Something about a greenscreen... Something else... I was thinking "wow, I'm blogging this." He asked me if I thought this sounded good, and I told him that a little animated character was going to come across like the MS Word paperclip. It would disconnect people from the message. I didn't mention that it would mean about ten grand in equipment upgrades and more to hire a staff to create these to have online by March at the earliest. Later, my boss (a saint, I should mention) told me that she was happy that I stood up and told him the truth.
I got to thinking, though. What would an animated tour look like? Imagine Gollum at BSU. "Ahh! Tricksy bursarses, steals your monies! No, they's's good to us, the school cares for us. No! All our monies go to losing football team! We hates them! Hates them! Curses!" It would go on like that, and enrollment at IU would jump through the roof. I find it weird that being an animator has meant that I spend much of my time in such discussions telling people how much harder animation is, and how live action is simpler.
Tomorrow night I'm going to see Wynton Marsallis for ten bucks. I'm going with Gerry and a few other friends, and a few total strangers. Discount tickets to good events is another great thing about BSU. USF would be lucky to get Tito Jackson and John Oates.
Work is getting better and better. It turns out that the nice young woman who I met at the Heorat last week works in the office down the hall a couple days a week. She loves music, and the two CDs on her desk right now are my copy of the Breeders' Title TK, and Johnny Cash's American IV: the Man Comes Around. Great taste, I must say. Elsewhere around the office, I found out that my paycheck is delivered to me. This is after I walked all over creation yesterday trying to find it. Convenience. Today, I met the head of BSU marketing. He's a good guy, and that means something from me, as I typically hold marketing majors in similar esteem as middle school gym teachers. I first met him when I accidentally walked in on a meeting with him and my boss and my boss's boss. I wanted to buy a coke out of the refrigerator behind his chair, so his first impression of me was a tall guy with an iPod loping through the door and wedging in behind his chair to acquire a canned beverage. I was introduced by name and then as a student in the Digital Storytelling program. His affirmative answer, like so many others, said that he didn't know what that meant either. Later on, as I was saving my work and preparing to leave, he came in with my boss to tell us about his great idea for the video tour. Something new and innovative- computer animated tourguides! The user would have a choice of three fun characters to watch, and... Something about a greenscreen... Something else... I was thinking "wow, I'm blogging this." He asked me if I thought this sounded good, and I told him that a little animated character was going to come across like the MS Word paperclip. It would disconnect people from the message. I didn't mention that it would mean about ten grand in equipment upgrades and more to hire a staff to create these to have online by March at the earliest. Later, my boss (a saint, I should mention) told me that she was happy that I stood up and told him the truth.
I got to thinking, though. What would an animated tour look like? Imagine Gollum at BSU. "Ahh! Tricksy bursarses, steals your monies! No, they's's good to us, the school cares for us. No! All our monies go to losing football team! We hates them! Hates them! Curses!" It would go on like that, and enrollment at IU would jump through the roof. I find it weird that being an animator has meant that I spend much of my time in such discussions telling people how much harder animation is, and how live action is simpler.
Tomorrow night I'm going to see Wynton Marsallis for ten bucks. I'm going with Gerry and a few other friends, and a few total strangers. Discount tickets to good events is another great thing about BSU. USF would be lucky to get Tito Jackson and John Oates.
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