31 March 2007

Jesus, the world is ending.

Bono just got an honorary knighthood. I think I hear the thundering of the Horsemens' steeds.

Atomic Man Redux

I know, I know.

In theory, this thing would be updated every day. Well, it isn't. What a surprise. Things get in the way. Movies, for instance. I've made a few, and all of them are posted here, I think. If not, I'm going to add them. The're mostly being made for something called Channel 101, or Acceptable Tv. I'll explain them later, but the sites are all worth checking out.

As is the new home of Chris and my production company, Stranger in the Alps. The site already looks pretty groovy, thanks to the l337 Haxxor Cieslak, and there's more to come. Right now there's some prduction stills from our last shoot, titled "Krunk Ninjas in the Year Funky, A.D.," the title of which will make more sense if a)you're a Channel 101 fan and b)you see it. More on that later.

So the movie thing is keeping me busy. I've been thinking up a new script, too, called SLC Vice!, a show about Mormon cops. We'll see how that one goes.

Until then.

27 March 2007

The Adventures of Blakely and Crumblethorpe, Ep.1

New Computer

I've got a new computer. It's a Mac. I've got a Mac. That is a very exciting thing. I just realized that with the addition of Flash, which I just installed, that I've got every program that I could want.

That's a scary prospect. Now I've got nothing to wish for.

macmini.JPG

Now, on to edit a movie. On my Mac.

My Mac.

Sigh.

10 March 2007

Slow News Day, Plus Movies!

It seems to be a slow news day out there. I've been trolling around the murky depths of the interenets, and yet can't find too much to discuss. Other than Jerry Falwell inviting Newt Gingrich to speak at his college. Huh? That reminds me of the press seeking Mel Gibson's opinion after Michael Richards disgraced himself onstage. Or asking O.J. how he would have done it, if he'd done it.

So, it's finally out there. Acceptable TV finally got their sit up, which allowed Chris and myself to post our latest masterpiece, "The Most Dangerous Man Alive." That was sort of frustrating, because we finished this one rather quickly, in about a week, vs. the last one Atomic Man, which took ages and ages. This one is far better, we both feel. If enough people watch it, it'll get on the Acceptable TV show on VH1, too, which would be great.

I'm working on another short next week, tenatively titled "Spaceship Adventures." We'll see how that goes. Since we have access to all of these nifty special effects that Chris is able to do, I figured, why not a space show?

I should be working on my script. I'm going to work on my script now.

Watch me!

08 March 2007

Fashion Industry Attempts to Hijack Generation (again)

It's one of those days where I'm beginning to feel old and obsolete. For those of you older than me (I'll be 29 in May, words that strike fear in my heart), this is more than likely something you've gone through. As a younger man, I always felt that 30 was just another number, and I'd approach it like any other birthday. The reality of the situation is closing in like a stormcloud, though. A 30 year old without a career is a sad, sad prospect, indeed.

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What brought on this anxiety today, you ask with baited breath? An article in the NY Times today about Calvin Klein's perfume division. It seems that they are trying to launch a sequal of sorts to CK1, aimed at the (I'm not making this up) 'technosexual' generation. They've actually copywrited this term. Remember CK1? I guess they still make it. I was given a bottle for Christmas one year, and always found it to be kind of off putting and smelly. In fact, it always reminded me of the off-putting scent of pages in those thirty pound fashion magazines that women always seemed to read (oddly, even the enlightened feminist ones. I never understood that).

Now there's CK in2U. That's the name. It sounds like something I would have come up with as a joke, like calling it 'Teh CK." That would have been a better name, even, and I just came up with that off of the top of my head. Maybe I need to go into advertising. I guess 'in2U' is a text message abbreviation for 'Let's fuck.' You know I'm getting old when I need the New York Times to tell me that.

That was the thing. I'm reading this article, shaking my head at the idiocy of advertising, when it occurred to me that they weren't aiming this scent at me. I immediately figured I was in their demographic when I began reading the article. I'm in my 20's, I live in a major city, I have a blog. I'm down with fashion to some degree, I know good music. I'm cynical and disaffected. Don't I sound like someone they would market to?


I'm obsolete. I realized that I don't know text-message lingo. The age group they are aiming for is five years younger than me. They show a group of 20somethings in the article, people that are dressed like my friends, drinking cheap beer. But they aren't me and my friends, they're our younger siblings.

Ouch.

Will the campaign succeed? Will these 'technosexuals' (I winced when I wrote that) buy into the mythos of the campagin? I have hope in the disaffection of people. What I find amusing is that Calvin Klein Co. (he sold his interest in 2002, apparently) missed the boat completely in what makes this generation different than the one before it. They got the sex down, but that's easy, because every generation likes casual sex. The bottle is made to remind one of an iPod (it's made of similar plastic). That's hip, right? And they're calling it something in text-message slang. What are they doing wrong?

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The generation is one that obsessed with self exposure. If you are in that generation, and disagree with me, let me ask you: Do you have a blog? Are people supposed to read it? Are you on MySpace? Flickr? Think about this for a moment. I'm not going to pretend that this is a theory I've cooked up, it's one I've read elsewhere, but I think it brings up valid points. Perhaps it was growing up with The Real World and reality TV that caused people to desire to be seen and heard. Perhaps it's the ease of connection in today's society, with all of our electronic conveniences. But this is what speaks to people, and thinking that just by using sexually charged imagery you'll be able to connect with people is just wishful thinking.

But who knows? I could be wrong.

06 March 2007

Warming up for the day

Earlier Mornings
One of the things I'd like to work on accomplishing in 2007 is to get my life in order. That seems like a gargantuan task, but really it is a matter of completing a number of smaller tasks. Earlier mornings for example. Many days I never seem to have time to get anything done. I get up, see if the world has blown up yet on the news, get showered, and head to work. As I work at night, that leaves my few hours of free time from the hours of midnight until 3am, which is ideal time for drinking, but not, say, doing your taxes or cleaning the kitchen.

If you are a morning person, or someone who works a normal 9 to 5 job, this may seem ridiculous, like I'm just a lazy sod who sleeps in every day. But imagine that you went to be at 11pm each night. Okay? Well, I'm still at work. If that was my bedtime, I'd be doing a bad job because I was so sleepy at the end of each shift.

Also, when you come home from work, do you immediately fall asleep? No, you have dinner, watch TV, do something to decompress. For us night people it's the same. Unfortunately, not a lot to do during those hours. I once again point you to the open bars, and now you can understand why people in the service industry drink so much.

So, I'm thinking 10:30am. I should be able to do that. It isn't too early, and it leaves me a couple of hours of mucking about before I need to get my day in order, hours in which I could be writing.

Scooter Libby Guilty
So he's guilty. We all knew that. Was he being used as a scapegoat by the administration? That's what he claimed, but then proceeded to put up such a lame and worthless defense that I've wondered if someone from the White House told him to shut up. They'll probably pardon him, and say that it was the right thing to do.

Ford pardoned Nixon, and while people were outraged at the time, people now think it was the right thing to do, allow the nation to heal, or some other bullshit. I'm personally of the opinion that Nixon should have gone to prison. Had we actually punished the president who was caught red-handed, it may have shown that we care about enforcing our laws, even at the highest level, but the pardon showed that if you're a powerful rich white guy, even if you're shown to be guilty, there's always a way out.

Imagine if this applied to everyone.

Goals for 2007: Update
I was looking through the list I had made for goals in 2007. How am I doing so far?

1. Have a great, attractive, funny, smart and wonderful girlfriend--DONE
Still going strong

2. Get my bedroom in order--Purchase an actual bed. Clean room.
Well, I sort of cleaned it, but now it's wrecked again. No bed yet, either.

3. Start doing yoga--probably next week(?)
Still waiting on this one. Turns out the yoga place right by my house only has night classes.

4. Get the radio station in order--Station meeting tomorrow, get all our ducks in a row.
Not yet. We had the meeting, though. We got a P.O.Box

5. Continue eating healthy--ONGOING
I've really slipped on this one. I need to get to a grocery store, pronto.

6. Cook more, dine out less--ONGOING
See #5

7. Have health insurance--Waiting for infor from the insurance agent
Done! I'm insured for the first time since childhood. Still haven't been to a doctor, though.

8. Go to the dentist--Waiting on dental plan from work
Again a money problem. I need to make a little more as to pay for the dental plan.

9. Buy a truck
No money.

10. Buy a Macbook
See #9

11. Make more movies
Made a second movie, should be posted to the internet in days. Trying to write a feature.

12. Finish Atomic Man--Really. Maybe Monday?
Done!

13.Pay off debt--At least get on top of it
Nope.

I guess two ain't bad. Two months, two down.