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Archive for November, 2007

so, I spent the day geeking out…

30 Nov

… scouring forums for more info on techniques for video production. Found lot’s of great stuff…. and a lot of crap as well. Dang… some people on forums can really be a bore. Though I find that in real life too. Ya just have to wonder sometimes.

You know the types… and this is not just regulated to geeks… I have witnessed this on comments, forums, bars, (notice I did not include blog posts… that, they are entitled to)… the point is we know these people and have run across them even in our daily lives.

a. Mr./Ms. Know-it-all-who-has-an-opinion-on-everything

b. Mr./Ms Has-to-have-the-last-word

c. Mr./Ms Can’t-stick-to-the-point-but-keeps-rambling-in-a-circuitous-fashion

d. Mr./Ms Need-to-say-something-just-to-say-it (the whole “loving the sound of one’s voice” thing)

e. Mr./Ms Get’s-judgmental-if-an-opinion-differs-from-their-own

f. Mr./Ms Needy-and-hides-it-behind-the-excuse-of-discourse-in-the-desperate-need-for-any- kind-of-attention

You will notice that these folk freely offer an opinion whether one is called for or not. More often than not their opinions come from the stance of the absolute or has very little to do with the topic. And when challenged they get indignant and claim that they are victims of attack. These are the same people who make assumptions and are too quick to jump to conclusions. They are also the ones who claim to have enemies… when in reality people just find them condescending bores. I especially love (not) the “enlightened soul” who fires a put-down salvo (subtle or not) to pump up their own sense of esteem, transparently fashioned in a lame attempt at humor. Sometimes it just makes one want to bellow “SHUTTUP ALREADY!”

And what does this have to do with me geeking out? Forums are filled with these folk. I’m just guessing here… but these folk either need to get a life… or get laid… or both! It’s sad when you have to seek out validation via boring the populous in public forums.

So, after having to sift through all this to get the information I was seeking… I think I deserve a drink and a mindless movie or just a good romp in the hay.

Wow, a rant. That was cathartic. Carry on as you were.

 
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Da Count – music

29 Nov

dacount
Specifically, the permission to use it for the soundtrack for my movie. Mike had agreed in principle to do the soundtrack a couple of months ago. Since then I’ve been in pre-production and part of it is trying to decide on music. So, I started listening to the CD he made in the 90′s. Lo and behold I found at least 3 tracks that I hoped I could use. So, today I Skyped him and asked if the rights were available… he said yes. We also gabbed a little about firming up the upcoming schedule. Anyway… I am pleased as punch right now because the music counts a lot with this project. And that is my count for this week. Below is one of the tracks that I will be using.

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign above.

 
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so, i got a second package…

29 Nov

… later in the day too. The producer of Frogway sent me some mementos of the recent production. It included a cd of production pictures, a glossy program, a t-shirt (I’m a pond star) and a dvd of the show.

The first thing I did was pop in the DVD. It played for 10 minutes then stopped. Welll… duh… it was burned for PAL and we have NTSC here. So, I had to find some way to convert it. The best I could do was to save it onto my hard drive as an MPEG file and watch the rest of it that way.

And what did I think of it? For the most part it served the requirements of entertainment. The music and arrangements were very good. Some performances and performers stand out better than others. Liberties were taken with the piece… some worked well… others I was not so thrilled about. And yes… there is more tightening of the script that I myself can do. But all in all… everyone involved poured their energies into it and that’s what is important.

I will probably watch it several times more. This is important because Mike and I need to consolidate the script… at least this newer version for other possible productions. So, yet another project falls onto my already mounting plate.

EDIT: Yeah, I’ve posted this before (at least the YouTube version… this one is directly from the official site)… but I am really looking forward to this opening.

EDIT II: Ok… I removed the embeded video… it was on perpetual start.

 
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I like getting parcels

28 Nov

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Whether it is via the mail or any of the other delivery services… it’s always fun to get one. There used to be a time when I got a lot of them. This was in the days when I would order DVDs from (at the time) my favorite second hand online site. I was buying them like they were going out od style (but frugal me never wanted to buy them full price)… so much so I never knew which of the movies were arriving in the mail. It was almost like a roulette-christmas every other day.

I would rip into the parcel… shards of brown paper flying all over the place… finally opening the package… “Oh yeah… I’ve been waiting for these…” This was often followed by a movie marathon of sorts. My record… 5 movies, back to back.

My first forays into online purchasing began with movies. I remember the trepidation… “Hmmm… is this for real”… “Will my credit car information be safe?… “That price is too good… it has got to be a scam.” Trust in this “new system” was bolstered by the first successful purchases (and delivery) and then the floodgates opened. I started ordering stuff online left, right and center. My friends (when they found out that I was ordering online) would always pass the cautious comment, “Careful dude… your information floating in cyberspace just can’t be safe.” Now, of course…. everybody does it without a blink of an eye. My how things have changed in such a short span of time.

I was watching a news program the other day that reported that credit card transactions online (via a home computer) are actually safer than going to the store for a purchase. The reason… the wifi that store servers use often don’t have the (latest) safest encryption needed to send your info out on. I guess being a hermit does have it’s perks.

Oh, yeah… I received a parcel this morning. Something I ordered online last week. Excuse me while I tear into it. There is just something about a brown parcel or package that is just a little magical.

 
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I guess I was mistaken…

27 Nov

… according to the site meter traffic around these here parts is just as slow on Tuesdays as it is on Mondays. Though I’m thankful that those that did come by left a comment. It’s probably because I have not done a HNT in about 3 weeks… no nekkid ass no traffic. Plus, I do have to admit that my posts of late have been somewhat lackluster. No sparkling wit or anything halfway clever really. Just ramblings.

I have also noticed in 3 years of blogging that this time of the year is slow… at least on my blog. Partly because I’m usually in the throes of some insane creative project that my posts just seem… well… crappy. SeaRabbit has a post touching on this subject too. Time of the year? The weather? Or the creative field is just fallow. Has everything that has to be said been said? In the grand scheme of things… does it really matter?

I do have a handful of loyal readers who come by everyday and I’m thankful for them. At least it’s not a cry in the wilderness. And there are a handful of those that I visit everyday… and those who comment… I do visit. And of course there are those who stumble here in search of a picture of a toilet. At least I’m serving a purpose. No, this is not a “woe is me” post… just an observation.

But I do at least post 5 days a week. For me it has become a bit of a ritual. Whether I have any content worth reading or not… I’m writing… which is why I got into this gig in the first place.

 
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I never wanted to be…

27 Nov

… one of those whose day didn’t start until after the first cup of coffee… or as my friend Zonthar called it “the evil bean water.” So, for many years I instead consumed various beverages as a substitute including water, fruit juices and during a crazed 10 year period… iced cold Coca Cola. (The breakfast of champions, I used to call it. Come on… something ice cold and zippy first thing in the morning… that’s the real “picker-upper”!)

Sure I knew that the Cola had caffeine and high levels of suger. I also knew that it is a wonderful de-greaser and could clean rust off metal (yeah, I’ve actually done this) but it didn’t stop me. I reasoned that at least my innards would be grease and rust free. (If you didn’t know already, both my Mum and I have unusually high levels of iron in our blood… that is magnetized and will ruin watches. But that’s another story.)

Besides, I had a strange reaction to the caffeine in coffee that I didn’t have to Coke. I could drink gallons of Coke and be fine but one cup of coffee and I would be climbing the walls and licking cobwebs. I liked the taste of coffee but “the evil bean water” was not a friend to my Coke preferred system.

Then there were my coffee snob friends. (Really, snobs of any stripe are just a bore. I’m still weaning myself away from my own indiscretions in that area.) Lordy, they would go on and on about the bean… debating the merits of sumatra over columbia for hours on end. Conversations would get more frenzied as more cups were consumed. Then they would always claim to get a buzz from the whole exchange touting stimulation from the healthy discourse. I would always smile and think to myself “Dude, it’s the coffee.” Besides, it wasn’t really an exchange… it was punting at best. Sort of like 2 drunks talking… neither are listening to each other but both trying to make some kind of point. Unlike the drunks who drag it out while trying to find a point… the coffeeheads can’t get them out fast enough from the rat-tat-tatting that’s firing in their coffee soaked, caffeine hopped up brains.

Then about 5 years ago coffee became my friend. Somehow my body finally said yes to the java and it has been my morning drink of choice ever since. Perhaps my system is all worn away from the years of abuse with “the real thing”. Or perhaps I have slid into the sad abyss of being conventional. Though I haven’t become a coffee snob… I do enjoy a robust cup (O.K. I drink mine in a Carlsberg beer mug) in the mornings… and then start my day. Whatever the case… this is where I am now.

 
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and this is how I spent the weekend

26 Nov

The performance was shot on Wednesday night at the Turtledove Theater (my garage)… and Suicide Lounge played to an intimate and warm audience. (Yes, there was food and drink involved.) There are still tweaks & trimming I’m making to the video so please excuse some strange jump cuts. It was a fun edit though and I learned more cool things. O.K. enough of me blabbering… here… enjoy.

EDIT: Monday traffic is pretty low around here for the most part… but what the heck? Yeah, Suicide Lounge is available for any of your upcoming holiday functions. And if you like the video… go over to this page and rate it. For more of my video crap you can always subscribe to my YouTube channel. I guess this puts the final in the coffin… “Lush Life” is the group’s anthem and the lovely Joy now owns it. But how can I quibble with a major upgrade? :)

Editing was a little mind numbly slow because my eSATA card and cable have yet to arrive for my external hard drive. Things should speed up once I have it installed.

On to other things… so, with the editing I have been at home most of the while. Lots of other videos to work on for various clients which means that I’ll be home some more. Though this also means that I’m on a quest to get to know my tools better. This also means that my visits to your blogs will be more random than usual. However be assured that leaving a comment is a sure fire way to getting me to visit.

Anyway, I think this is good for today… and I’ll leave you with some shameless promotion below.
junhol

 
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Da Count – thanksgiving

22 Nov

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Redundant? I don’t think so. Setting aside one day in the year to give thanks is wonderful. Many find it a challenge to do it daily… even weekly… so one day a year is a good start. It is my favorite of American holidays… mainly because it cuts across the board. A totally inclusive celebration that is not dependent on creed, race, class or any other social factor that may create division… and that to me counts big.  Cheers to you who came by with wishes in the post below. Hope your day was a good one… and my hope for you is that many good ones lie ahead.

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashing sign above.

 
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to those of you who come by…

22 Nov

… Happy Thanksgiving… lots to be thankful for.

 
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Questions that don’t keep me up nights…

21 Nov

… but would be fun to know.

1. How many Pussycat Lounges/Theaters actually do exist? Almost seems like every town has one, doesn’t it?

2. Do all Diner waitresses call their customers “Hun”? Is this a prerequisite to getting the job?

3. What is the difference between a “casual lover” and a “booty call”? By the same token… what’s the difference between a “nice girl” and a “skank”?

4. Who are “they” when people say “They say…”? Have I met them? Have you? Seems like “they” have always been around.

5. If the entire population of China & India stopped copulating for just one day, how would this affect the population count? Would this actually cause a sudden dip in births in 9 months?

Do you have your own questions that you are un-dying to know?

 
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