Say Anything...

...but let it be good.

Okay, let's make this snappy. I want to run over and chow before I go see Robots tonight. Haven't been to a theatre in a while. Okay, so there's a buncha crap I talked about in my last few posts, but they all went to crap before I could post them. So in short: I'm producing a short film with some other students just for kicks about a chick who's pissed about life. So far it's lookin' good, since most of it was my idea :-D. What else...oh and the girl that's starring in it looks totally like Nikki Kid. Movies for classes this week were good, including the 3-hour-and-45-minute Indian musical dramedy about a cricket match. But my favorite movie so far this year is The 400 Blows, a movie Brent and I joked about renting but never quite did. Ummm work on Mieke's script is good; we did some preliminary filming and talked about it in class. Dr. Garcia has so much to say about this stuff, it's crazy. Really makes me think about my own work thus far. Went to church in "holey" jeans on Sunday, which led me to buy new ones that day. The lady gave me 25% off since they didn't have my exact size. Pepsi can count: 32. Capturing is coming along swimmingly, although the important part of scene 12 has Hudy breathing right into the mic, which is annoying. My roommate from IWU that I haven't talked to in three years just IMed me, but I don't know what happened 'cuz he signed off before we could converse. That was gay. I'm pissed 'cuz the last post I wrote was entirely with one hand 'cuz I was eating pizza, and it took a long time. I really have to start working on my script for Screenwriting. The story is just about set, but I don't want to have to go to the lab to use Final Draft. Gr. Now it's food time...which is right before nap time...and then comes foodnap time! That is my favorite time of them all. -Caboose. Keep it, yo.

Nothing to Lose...

...EXCEPT MY FRICKING POST!!!

I am sick and tired of losing posts.

Keep it, yo.

Chariots of Fire...

...might burn the horses.

I'm actually kinda glad I cancelled Live for a few days. I've finally made some progress in Rainbow Six 3 and Crimson Skies. I'm tempted to say it's been good to have a break from Halo, but I did go back and pick up the last Halo novel that I never finished.

This week in American Film was focused on Hollywood during the cold war and the whole blacklist crap that went down. We watched Pawnbroker for lab, a Lumet film starring Rod Steiger as a concentration camp survivor living in New York (not on DVD?!?). It was pretty good, but surprisingly non-Hollywood in terms of story style. Main character not exactly goal-oriented, and a semi-unconclusive ending. Basically he's all unfeeling and repressed, and ends up being a tad masochistic so he can just feel something. Then in class we watched a video in class about the blacklisting, and now I don't like Cecil B. DeMille anymore. He went all commie-hunting crazy and was a total hypocrite. Of course, I think the entire trial deal was hypocritical since we had JUST come out of alliance with Russia anyway. Suddenly everyone goes witchhunting...which is not to say I don't think the fear was without cause, I just think they took it a bit far when they wrote down 60,000 peoples names and imprisoned those who put their first amendment right into action. I stick my tongue out at 1950's Hollywood.

Went to Beaners today to get permission to shoot Mieke's script there. Also did some "practice" shooting this past weekend on campus. Also had to do this reading about "Result Directing," which basically means that telling your actor to inflect a certain word is naughty. Phooey on that too. Keep it, yo.

One Fine Day...

...things could get better.

So let's recap...the first thing that went wrong happened before we ever got Cortana up and running: the case was dented and one of the USB ports didn't work. So we send it back, and two weeks later get a good one. Okay. She gets all put together and everything is fine for a while, even though the front speaker port doesn't work. One day, we go to school. The monitor does not turn on. Ask the Help Desk, ask the Geek Squad, ask Kyle. Problem solved. But guess what? The sound card doesn't work. Six weeks into school, and finally everything is working properly again. After spring break, we go back to school, only to find that I left the power cord at Kyle's. I buy a new one. Five days later, the power supply dies. Cortana reboots at first all on her own, then a few minutes later shuts down all together. Another $60, and now she's up once more...for now.

GAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! Oh well. Like I said, no matter how bad things might seem...you'd better get used to it, Nancy.

I looked into the PSP a bit; just to see if it was going to be any good, that is, not like to buy it. I was astounded to find out that it's $250, not even including a game or anything. I don't know all the perks it has, but they'd better be darn happy ones. Not to mention, the games that launched with it aren't very exciting. Most of them are just console games with a subtitle- THUG2: Remix, Midnight Club 3: DUB, Need for Speed Underground: Rivals, NFL Street 2: Unleashed, just to name a few. I would like to try Luminous and Wipeout Pure if I get the chance. And props on the movie playing ability- they also launched Spider-Man 2, Hellboy, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, XXX, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico with it, which is a first for handheld systems...I wonder why they didn't get, like, Pretty Woman too.

Cancelled my Gamertag again...I have one more 2-month pass that I'll set up in a few days. Until then...Keep it, yo.

Time After Time...

...the issues never cease!

Just a few things to go over today...first of all, I finally found out how to make links. So I'm going to have fun with those and make some random links. Good times.

The editing process of WS3 has officially begun! Hooray! I've captured about four scenes, with plenty to go. It takes sooo looong, cuz I have to watch the footage, decide what I want to capture to be careful of gig space, then go back and capture it...hit a few roadbumps already, but what are you gonna do? "No matter how bad things might seem...they can't be any better, they can't be any worse. Because that's the way things f*ckin' are, and you'd better get used to it, Nancy." -Church

I'd also like to pull a Brent today and write up a short list of all the movies I'm gonna see in theatres for the rest of this year. Truth is, I wrote this post yesterday and had a pretty detailed (and humorous, I might add) list of what I'm gonna see and why. It took a long time and then my Internet sucks and I don't feel like doing it again. So here's a non-chronological, non-humorous, abbreviated list:

Robots- One of the Top Five (see Feb. 1st post).
Batman Begins- No Joel Schumacher.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy- 42.
Kingdom of Heaven- Flaming arrows+Orlando Bloom=blockbuster?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Freddie Highmore rules.
Star Wars- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith- Hooray for Wookies.
Fantastic Four- I know, it's gonna suck.
The Cronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe- Finally.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- HARRY POTTER!
V For Vendetta- My Baby X2.
King Kong- Fire the casting director.
Bloodrayne- Is this still coming out even?
War of the Worlds- Aliens+Tom Cruise=blockbuster.
Sin City- 546 famous people in one movie.
Aeon Flux- Charlize Theron+guns=who cares!
The Corpse Bride- Currently my favorite animated movie ever.

Keep it, yo.

Once Upon a Time in America...

...I went back to school.

Spring Break has come to an end. I arrived back at school last night just in time to realize I have something due tomorrow. Crap.

Cortana is all fixed up and ready to go. Except I think her power cord was left at Kyle's apartment...I borrowed my roommate's cord since he wasn't back yet. But anyway, I bought a Soundblaster-something sound card, which identified itself as the "perfect upgrade from a regular motherboard sound card!" It does sound pretty good, but moreso on the high end than with bass. And since I saved some good dough on an internal 160-Gig hard drive, I broke down and bought a mic for Xbox Live too, so after winning a game I thought it would be a good idea to hold my mic up to my computer speakers and blast "We Are the Champions" by Queen. I don't think most of the losing teams enjoyed that. But that's what you get when you cheat.

Anyway, break was good. I saw everyone I wanted to see, plus got 10 movies in. I spent some time trying to think of a short to film for Video Production II, but I couldn't come up with anything good. It's supposed to be around 4 minutes, preferably narrative, with a little twist at the end. I get lots of little ideas, but nothing developable. Or developed, but impossible to shoot. Anyway...

Got class in a bit, so I'm outtie. Keep it, yo.

Pump up the Volume...

...(s)

Spring Break Adventures with Maxx King, Vol. 1 Issue 1.

Scene: CHICAGO SHOULDER-LESS FREEWAY RAMP. JUST AROUND A CURVE. 9 PM.

Maxx: (thinking) Aah, I finally found 94 North. Now it should be a straight shot to- Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??

(Katie revs. Maxx re-tries 4th gear, to no avail. He tries 3rd. Same story. Maxx pulls over)

Maxx: Dude, what the crap? (still trying gears) Okay, not good.

(Maxx waits for passing traffic, gets out. Tries 911 on cancelled cell phone. Sees sign promoting *999, tries it. He gets back in the car. Cop drives by. Maxx waves. Maxx gets out, stands behind Katie as cars whiz by. Opens hood, looks, closes hood. A car pulls over)

Black Man: Y*$ *%& @)l#!

Maxx: What's that!?

Black Man: I said you need help!?

Maxx: Uh, kinda. You got a cell phone?

(Black Man tries his phone. It doesn't work)

Black Man: That's aight, someone'll be by in a minute. I don' know how they know, but they know.

Maxx: A cop drove by a while ago, but he just went by.

Black Man: Really!? Ah, man. Well, someone'll be by in a minute.

(Emergency Road Service truck approaches)

Black Man: There ya go!

Maxx: Oh! Wow, thanks!

Black Man: No problem! (exits)

(Maxx enters ERS Vehicle)

Maxx: Hi.

ERS Man: What the problem?

Maxx: I don't know, it won't go into gear, it's like a belt came off or somethin'.

ERS Man: Okay, what I'm gonna do is push ya off the road. Just start your engine and keep the wheels straight.

Maxx: Okay. (exits vehicle, enters Katie)

ERS Man: (over speaker) Ready!?

(Maxx rolls down his window, gives a thumbs-up. ERS truck pushes Katie about a half mile down the freeway.)

ERS Man: (over speaker) Pull off to the right! Pull off to the right!

(Maxx exits the freeway via exit ramp)

ERS Man: (over speaker) Okay that's good! That's good!

(Maxx locks Katie and returns to the ERS vehicle)

ERS Man: So whatcha wanna do?

Maxx: Uh, I don't know, I'm on my home to Wisconsin.

ERS Man: You don' know no one in Chicago?

Maxx: No. Where's the nearest phone?

(ERS Man point to a cell on the dash)

Maxx: Can I use it?

(ERS Man nods. Maxx dials home)

Marcia: Hello?

Maxx: Hi.

Marcia: Hi!

Maxx: How's it goin'?

Marcia: Good. What's up?

Maxx: Um, I'm coming home.

Marcia: Tonight? What about class tomorrow?

Maxx: I'm not going. I'm in Chicago, my car broke down.

Marcia: This is probably a stupid question, but is there gas in it?

Maxx: Yes.

Marcia: Where are you?

Maxx: Where am I?

ERS Man: Roosevelt.

Maxx: Roosevelt.

Marcia: Where's that?

Maxx: South of Chicago?

ERS Man: It is Chicago.

Maxx: In Chicago.

(Marcia gets directions from ERS Man, calls AAA, starts driving with Carl to pick Maxx up)

ERS Man: So I'm gonna push you up around that corner. Just make a hard right at the light.

Maxx: Okay.

(Maxx returns to Katie, ERS Man pushes them around the corner)

ERS Man: Keep goin', Keep goin'. That's it! That's it!

(Maxx stops, returns to ERS vehicle)

Maxx: Is that it then?

ERS Man: Yup. Now if ya want a soda, or a snack-

Maxx: Bathroom?

ERS Man: Well, then ya go around back that building there. But if you want a soda or a snack, down this way is some stores. If you want some coffee, you go up to this light, go left and there's a Dunkin' Donuts.

Maxx: Okay cool. Thanks a lot!

(ERS Man exits. Maxx ventures toward the Dunkin' Donuts. There isn't one. He stops at a gas station to use the bathroom, returns to Katie. As the car slowly gets colder and colder, he plays Snake on his phone. A good 30 minutes pass, then a Mexican approaches. Maxx gets out)

Mexican: This your car?

Maxx: Yeah.

Mexican: You call AAA?

Maxx: Yeah.

AAA Mexican: What's wrong?

Maxx: I don't know. It's a manual, and it won't go into gear. Like a belt came off or something. Can you fix it?

AAA Mexican: No.

Maxx: Can you tow it to Milwaukee?

AAA Mexican: Milwaukee Wisconsin!?

Maxx: Yeah.

AAA Mexican: (checks his watch) There's a shop a few miles away, I can take it there.

Maxx: Yeah, but they're not open until-

AAA Mexican: 24 hours.

Maxx: Really?? Okay, let's take it there.

(AAA Mexican loads up Katie and Maxx, drives to a hole in the wall with no name on Hooker Street. Many more Mexicans inside)

Mexican #1: What's wrong with it?

Maxx: I don't know, it's a manual, it won't go into gear, like a belt came off or something.

Mexican #1: I can look at it.

(AAA Mexican exits. After waiting around a while and calling Marcia with new directions, Maxx goes with Mexican #1 to see Katie. Mexican #1 tries to start her without putting his foot on the clutch. He tries a number of times)

Mexican #1: So it won't go?

Maxx: (after getting in and starting it) No, it goes, it just won't go into gear.

Mexican #1: It'll have to wait 'til morning when the guy comes in to hook it up to the computer.

(frustration builds. Maxx waits another 45 minutes.)

Mexican #2: (holding up $20 bill) Hey, guy. You have two ten?

Maxx: No, sorry man.

(more waiting. Marcia and Carl arrive)

Marcia: Hello!

Maxx: Hi.

(Maxx rants about the hole in the wall and the bad events to come)

Marcia: Who's in charge?

Maxx: Some guy. I don't know where he went.

(they go back inside)

Marcia: Are you in charge?

Mexican #3: Me? No. Yeah, now. Everyone gone for the night.

Marcia: So what's the story?

Mexican #3: They look at it in the morning.

(Maxx fills out a sheet and gives Mexican #3 a key. Maxx, Marcia, Carl, and Mexican #3 move Katie to the side of the road. Maxx, Marica, and Carl take everything Maxx owns [computer, monitor, XBOX, clothes, camera, etc.] and put it all in the Jeep. They leave Hooker Street)

THE END?????

Keep it, yo.

Cheaters...

...suck.

Got a 96% on the World Cinema test. Probably not so well on the American, but hopefully not too bad.

So people figured out how to cheat in Halo on XBOX Live. They basically suspend their modem from sending information to other players, which means the other players can't see them moving. They'll run in and take your flag and be gone without you noticing, then the flag just disappears. And you're screwed. It's starting to happen a lot, and all you can do about it is leave feedback saying "cheating" on their name. I hear that can get them suspended for weekends or something. And what's worse...the cheaters are never even on my team >:-( .

So for my screenwriting class, we have to type our final scripts in Final Draft 6. This is a program only available in one computer room on campus, and I don't want to have to go way over there every time I have a line to write. So I went on Limewire and tried downloading it, right? The first one I got wanted a registration number or something, and I couldn't find it in the Readme file, so I deleted it. Then I tried downloading Final Draft 7, which might have worked, except when it asked me to extract the files, it instead went and installed a German sex finder. After deleting the thirteen shortcuts it put around Cortana and uninstalling the program, it left one stupid icon in my taskbar that I couldn't delete because it was "active" and it wouldn't go away. Took a few days to get that one off. Stupid Germans. I'm not into Nazi porn.

I wish I could film over break, but I don't think it would be altogether wise. Just another opportunity for people to change their hair between now and the next time. We'll see. Oh, I need a new house to film in by Summer, too. Ben's character needs to have a house, and the one we were supposed to use (and had already filmed in) isn't available any more...I need to make some new friends.

Pepsi can count: 20

Keep it, yo.

Some Like it Hot...

...I like it hotter.

So since they've been renovating the rooms around here, there's been this big dumpster outside. And yesterday, I noticed some chairs chillin' there, stickin' out of the top like, "Look at me, I'm a comfortable chair that's going to a landfill." And I was like, "Dude, that's gay. I want one." So after dinner tonight I went and saved one from certain doom. I am currently sitting in it. It...says hi. Or, maybe it would if it could talk. I haven't seen any crazy talking chairs since I was a little girl.

One step closer to a fully useful computer. A small step, but a step nonetheless. Kevin gave me a copy of Sonic DVD so I could maybe burn stuff. Almost. It got most of the way through, then it was like, "Sorry Tim, you suck. No DVD for you!" In so many words, that is. It did, however, make me a VCD, but I'm not sure what good that does for me.

I have an American Film test tomorrow. That's probably why I'm on here typing away. Avoid studying and all. Not that I don't want to study- I just need a break is all. It's interesting taking four film courses, since I hear the same thing or a version of the same thing in three different classes, so it all kind of ties together, but sometimes it's like, wait, where was that from again? If all your classes are different you can just be like, hmm, now where did I learn that the arm bone's connected the hip bone? Science, duh! Certainly not math or english. Or a university where they teach incorrect anatomy.

So I started buying those little mini-Pepsis. They're 4 ounces short from the regular cans, and I thought maybe since I ususally drink one a day or so, maybe this will cut back my intake. There are 17 Pepsi containers chillin' on my desk in a little pyramid thing. Creative output, ya know? Art.

Took a drive out to Kevin's this morning for church and lunch. Daniel had me read his LEGO mags. to him and Anna made me a musical instrument. No, I'm sure it didn't cost much. It's a morroca of cardboard and beads. I played it for a bit; stick an amp plug on it and I think it might become a trend. Now that I think about it, that's kind of ironic- I named my acoustic after her...huh. Anyway, comin' back was the awesomest thing EVER- I had to turn on my frickin' AC it was so warm! Take THAT snow!

Well, back to work. Keep it, yo.

The Art of War...

...must be easier than this.

So I'm playing Halo today, Big Team Battle (8 on 8). Single Bomb, where one team brings a bomb into the other team's base and arms it. I take the Banshee (the only flying vehicle) and start making some rounds on defense. Suddenly, over the speaker comes, "Who's the idiot that took the Banshee and didn't get the rockets?!?" Fine, I'll admit I don't know every detail of that map, but since I don't have a mic, I can't ask where they are. So I continue my defense. Eventually the bomb makes its way into our base and we have to keep them from getting it back. Now when a player on the bombing team stays close to the bomb, the timer on the game will freeze at 5 seconds as a "Sudden Death" feature. Then the game freezes. But where's the guy hiding near the bomb? After much searching, the mean guy on my team and I both get the idea that he's probably on the roof. I go for the Banshee to fly up there and kill him, but just before I get in, I hear, "Stay the f*ck away from the Banshee, ENDER." I turn, and there he is, running toward it. Now I like to consider myself a reasonable guy. In a gesture of kindness, I back away and let him take it. This is where the story should end.

As he makes his way up up and away, he starts talking again. "We have things to do. This isn't here for your entertainment."

...

It isn't? Wait, was he talking about the Banshee, or Halo in general? But, regardless of which one he was talking about, isn't it the same thing? Well whatever he meant, I think he has some issues to deal with. What's that you say? Everyone's entitled to their own opinions? Well, in that case:

Games are for entertainment. The deeper issue, should you argue that there is one, revolves around just how seriously you wish to take this entertainment. Let's back up a bit. There used to be (and basically still is) this ongoing debate about what "art" is. Some say everything is art. "Ooh, look at that pretty chair. It's art." Says who? You? Look, the fastest way to obliterate a concept is to expand it to mean everything. I mean, what does that even mean? My wallet is artwork? My notebook? My socks? I tend to disagree. In the opposite corner stand those nihilists who claim that any arguable value is baseless and that nothing can really be communicated. I.E., nothing is art. Please. I know I’ve created things. And is art not the product of human creativity? This is where I tell everyone to shut up and look at the obvious truth: A creation is art if the creator deems it as such. If a guy makes a table and someone says, “Oh, now that’s art!” and the tablemaker says “No, it’s a table,” then it is NOT art. If a girl sits down with a paintbrush and says to herself, “I’m going to make art,” then that is what she does. Basically, art is in the eye of the creator. Period.

So let’s apply this concept, now that I’ve given that dead horse a few good whacks. Are games for entertainment? I suppose this depends. Let’s ask the game’s creator. Inquiry: “Hey Bungie, did you guys make Halo or Halo 2 or Oni for entertainment, among other things?” Reply: “No no, of course not.” Come on. Wake up.

I know video games are coming of age, that is they’re really starting to grow up and reach places they’ve never gone before, but I can’t think of a single game whose developers would deny entertainment value as a purpose. Except maybe that yoga thing developed by responDesign, Inc. But…that’s not really a game. It’s a yoga training video. Besides, Microsoft got sued for it (http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/Microsoft%20in%20Trouble%20over%20Yoga%20Game.htm).

Look, all I’m saying is, game purposes are in the eye of the developer. And no one can say entertainment wasn’t on Bungie’s list of things to accomplish in Halo’s development process.

So, in retaliation to Mr. Dumbhead’s claim about Banshees- Try thinking before you speak. You might learn something. Keep it, yo.

The Net...

...ain't so easily attainable.

So I finally got up and went to the Help Desk to get my computer online, and she hands me this piece of paper and she's like, "Follow these instructions when you get to this page..." and I'm like, "Dude, I can't even get a page." And she's like oh well you just have to turn off dial-up. And I'm like JUST SEND SOMEONE OVER AND GET MY FRICKING COMPUTER WORKING!!!! But they're gay over there so they won't do it. "Only if it's virus related." Oh fine, but you can't come type a stupid IP address in? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Well anyway, I'm like whatever so I come back to my room and plug Cortana in again just like the last two times, and I press the Explorer button...

So here I am. Don't ask me how that works.

So we did the movie theatre tour today and saw Be Cool...tour wasn't very interesting since I knew most of it, and then they handed everyone a strip of film from a used trailer (I got a Garfield strip...woo-hoo)- but I guess everyone else was pretty excited. Be Cool wasn't that great, mostly because I hate it when a "series" switches audiences simply for capital purposes. This was just a black movie starring two white people. And since Vince Vaughn isn't black either, they just had him act black for some laughs. Blech.

I checked my Halo stats on www.bungie.net the other day...found out i've played almost 400 games since I got here. I tried averaging that out and got like 80 hours worth of gameplay, which doesn't sound right, but who knows. It's time I'd rather spend editing, but ya know...I need sound for that. Keep it, yo.