Monday, April 30, 2007
signed up for classes.
Well, I managed to sign up for classes today - Production II in the summer and Experimental/Surreal Cinema in the fall - so that's one thing off my back. I have a feeling the Production II class may be canceled due to low enrollment (at my last check on the database, I was the only one enrolled), but if that happens, no big deal. I'm still uneasy about these final film classes I need to take, partly because it's been years since I took Production I and and partly because, while I already make practical applications of the skills from those classes in my freelance videography, in a classroom setting I'm really iffy (the whole group-work thing).
And on the blog front...seven posts to 500! Somehow, when compared to my message board posting numbers (which range from 2,000 - 7,500), it doesn't seem as impressive. Oh well.
Finally, Game 3 tonight. Can the Wings take a 2-1 lead in the series in the hostile Shark Tank in San Jose?
Friday, April 27, 2007
stupid expensive technology.
I'd love to be able to get a new notebook from Dell - my Inspiron 5100 isn't chugging along like it used to - but I'm not willing to pay $1,700+ for an XPS right now. I'd get one of the cheaper Inspirons, but their RAM tops out at 2GB and what's the point of getting a notebook right now that doesn't handle at least 4GB?
So, for now, I'm just going to do a complete system flush on my Inspiron tonight and see where that takes me. It's definitely in better shape than my Dell Dimension P3 was when it finally gave up the ghost, i.e. it doesn't take 5 minutes to open up an application. And this computer's got at least 3 years on that one too, so it's not old by any means - P4 2.66GHz, 1GB RAM (maxed out, unfortunately - that's the one thing that really bugs me). By all rights, I don't really have anything to complain about...this is still a perfectly good notebook.
Plus, my desktop is practically brand new, so I can't really complain. I just hate that urge that overcomes me from time to time where I have an itch for new technology. If I buy that new Sony camera that I want this summer, there's definitely no new notebook in my future...at least, not this year.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
ugh.
You know those annoying perfume commercials that air on TV from time to time? The ones with all the slow-motion, women staring off into space and smoke hanging in the air, with nary a clue as to what the ad is actually for until the product appears? Now, imagine watching one of those for over two hours.
That...is a Wong Kar Wei film.
Ugh, indeed.
I just don't get the cinematic elite at all. And, not surprisingly, I nodded off during the Wong Kar Wei film today in class. However, it was only for about 15-20 minutes this time. Guess I just wasn't as bored as last week. Still...this film was just as pretentious and just as...nothing as the last one. The characters are wholly unremarkable and infinitely forgettable - the women are interchangeable in their roles as each character is as bland as the next - and the narrative...oh wait, what narrative? The entire "story" could have fit inside a matchbox...without even having to remove the matches first.
Remind me again why I'm a film student? I apparently hate "great" and "brilliant" cinema. So what if I enjoyed Citizen Kane (which, ironically, is often dismissed as unbelievably boring)?
round 2, game 1, tonight.
A little positive mojo couldn't hurt. This series makes me just as nervous as the Calgary one did.
i'm not a very good film student.
Last week in one of my film classes, we watched In The Mood For Love, supposedly a huge masterpiece by director Wong Kar Wei (who I had never heard of before this class).
And it was dull. Beyond dull. I didn't care about the characters at all and the repetitive music was grating on my last nerve. It was pretentious and seemingly artsy for arts' sake - almost like a film student's senior thesis that he thinks will get him instantly noticed by Spielberg or Scorcese. It literally put me to sleep for about half an hour - and I never fall asleep during movies - until I woke up as a result of the professor opening the classroom door upon his return.
Our professor told us that as film students, we have to know and appreciate films like this. Apparently students at NYU are always discussing and watching such foreign films in their free time because everyone in the industry discusses and watches such foreign films in their free time. And that frustrates the hell out of me. The extent of my recreational foreign film watching is Run Lola Run, The Princess and the Warrior, The Science of Sleep and Akira (if an anime film even counts). I could even add films that I either watched in class or for class such as Rashomon, Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker or The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. None of these seemed pretentious or overly artsy to me (even Caligari) and I enjoyed them all to varying degrees. But apparently, these aren't the right foreign films for me to like. And, again, that frustrates the hell out of me.
There's always been that part of me that would love to make films, but I think my creativity and originality is lacking to be successful. Even in a technical capacity, I'm lacking for anything approaching film - my videography and related editing is the extent of my technical prowess. My lighting-for-film skills are questionable (although, I can blame that on having an overly annoying dunce for a partner in that class) and, frankly, one doesn't get far in film by working solo - which is what I've always been forced to do, for lack of a better rapport with my "fellow" film students.
Does this exclude me from doing other professional video-related work, i.e. television? For example, a show like Dirty Jobs...I'd love to be a cameraman or editor for a show like that.
Because, from what I've gathered, I'm just not cut out for film.
And joy of joys, we're watching another Wong Kar Wei film today. I'm very glad that this class is almost done with.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
stanley cup playoffs, round 2 predictions...
Okay, I went 5-for-8 in the first round, only picking Calgary, Dallas and Tampa wrong as winners. I'm particular happy about that first one being wrong. Only series I picked completely right was Nashville/San Jose with San Jose in five games.
Now, for the semifinals...
Western Conference
Detroit (1) vs. San Jose (5) - San Jose in seven. (Again, as much as I love my team...)
Anaheim (2) vs. Vancouver (3) - Vancouver in five.
Eastern Conference
Buffalo (1) vs. NY Rangers (6) - NY Rangers in seven.
New Jersey (2) vs. Ottawa (4) - Ottawa in six.
So, let's see what happens this time, eh?
Monday, April 23, 2007
contrary to popular belief, this university doesn't work on magic.
If you're a faculty member and you drop off an equipment request on Friday for a Monday class to your department secretary and that department secretary isn't there, the equipment request doesn't magically appear on our desks that same day. It ends up getting faxed when the secretary returns on Monday, by which time it is very clearly late and there's nothing I can do about it.
Just because we have a 24-hour-in-advance rule (during business hours), it doesn't mean you can't, you know, actually submit a request earlier. Had this request in question been submitted to the department on Thursday or Wednesday or Tuesday, I wouldn't even be ranting about this right now.
It ain't rocket science, people. It's the same reason I know that I can't call the Saturn Service Center in the morning and expect to get my car in there for service that same day - they won't be able to accommodate me and I know this. And just like the Saturn Service Center, this is a business and it's a service-oriented department and believe it or not, we're serving other people too - people that requested our services well in advance.
I hate Mondays. If it weren't for the Wings winning last night (which left me rather exhausted this morning), I'd be even more cross right now.
FRANZENSTEIN!!!!!!
JOHAN FRANZEN SCORES IN DOUBLE OVERTIME TO CLINCH THE SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I'm too damn riled up to go to bed. Heh. But I don't care.
BECAUSE WE WON, DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
game 6. now.
Game 5 was huge. Game 6 means it's time to close them out in Calgary. I think they can get their first win at the Saddledome tonight, after the goonery shown by the Flames in Game 5.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
game 4 in hostile territory.
Let's hope for a better effort tonight. To win this series, we need to be able to win on the road, especially in a hostile arena like Calgary's. At least I've read that the refs tonight are neither Bill McCreary or Mick McGeough, so that's a plus. Game time is at 9:30pm EST.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
waste of a late night.
Well, that was disappointing last night. Especially when I had to be into work early today. Still ahead in the series, but not as confident as I was before. Stupid Western Canada road trips...
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
game 3 at the saddledome. tonight.
Monday, April 16, 2007
decisions, decisions...
I'm trying to figure out which class I'm going to take in the fall and it's driving me nuts right now.
I'm basically tossing between Experimental/Surreal Cinema or Japanese Conversation I. The former would likely be a piece of cake for me and it would count as a major elective for me. The latter would simply be a regular elective, but I've taken Beginning Japanese I & II and I'd really like to continue. However, I'm extremely out of practice - I took Beginning Japanese II back in spring 2006 - and if I'm to take Japanese Conversation I, I'm going to have to study my ass off during the summer to get back into game shape, as it were, to even have a hope of succeeding in that class. Both classes are on Monday evenings (although the Japanese class is split up between Monday and Thursday), so it's one or the other.
So, do I take the not-as-interesting, but easy course...or do I take the course that really interests me, but may be a huge challenge for me?
It could be a moot point by the time I register, as I have a feeling that the Experimental/Surreal Cinema class will fill up pretty easily. I'm just worried that if I do sign up for the Japanese class, I won't study enough during the summer and I'll find that I'm in over my head by the time the fall semester hits. I've already dropped that class once (I was taking it last semester, but had to drop due to the whole situation with work and lack of free time) and dropping it a second time if it doesn't work out...well, I don't want to do that.
If I do go through with it and re-study everything I learned, will a lot of it come back to me? That's what I'm hoping. I knew - more or less - what I was doing before last semester. I'm just worried that I'm setting myself up for failure. Anybody have any suggestions?
Sunday, April 15, 2007
game #2?
2-0 series lead. No complaints here, just keep it up into Calgary.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
...and that's game one!
Great win tonight, guys. I knew you had it in you somewhere. I expect to see the same effort on Sunday!
And congrats to Datsyuk on his first playoff goal since 2002!
PLAYOFFS. TONIGHT.
one of my literary heroes died yesterday.
Monday, April 09, 2007
YES!!!
After being without internet all weekend, it's finally back up at our place. The Cablevision guy is here right now staring at the cable box settings - I'm assuming he's making sure that the cable is all good to go too. Yeah, we were without cable, internet and our landline phone all weekend. That wasn't fun at all.
2007 playoff picks.
Okay, in past seasons, I've provided detailed descriptions defending my NHL playoff predictions. This year...well, I just don't feel like it. So, here are the picks:
Western Conference
Detroit (1) vs. Calgary (8) - Calgary in six. (I know, it's not good form to pick against your team...)
Anaheim (2) vs. Minnesota (7) - Anaheim in seven.
Vancouver (3) vs. Dallas (6) - Dallas in six.
Nashville (4) vs. San Jose (5) - San Jose in five.
Eastern Conference
Buffalo (1) vs. N.Y. Islanders (8) - Buffalo in four. (Sorry, Opie...)
New Jersey (2) vs. Tampa Bay (7) - Tampa Bay in five.
Atlanta (3) vs. N.Y. Rangers (6) - NYR in seven.
Ottawa (4) vs. Pittsburgh (5) - Ottawa in seven.
Friday, April 06, 2007
datsyuk!
Yep, today was pretty big. Dats signed a 7-year contract extension estimated to be between $6-7 million a season. I think I'm okay with that.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
amplifier solution.
Well, I decided to order an Electro-Voice MA-1206 - pending signature approval of course, since I need to have any purchases over $300 signed for. Which is annoying, since I keep getting questioned "Are you sure you have enough in your budget for this?" at which point I have to defend myself and rattle off numbers like, "Yes, after this purchase I would have $3245.78. I keep track of my budget." Is every workplace like this or do I just get constant shit because I'm younger? I can't help but think it's a mix of both.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
wait, you want what?
Today is a prime example of things that drive me absolutely nuts at work.
Okay, let's look back a couple months ago, because that's where this started. A request came in for a group who needed two handheld wireless mics and two lavaliere (clip-on) wireless mics. The problem is, one of our lavaliere mics was stolen last year and through a series of gaffes involving both Purchasing and a vendor, my order for replacements wasn't processed until just recently. However, I was basically ordered by an office to have that second lavaliere no matter what.
Over the past two months, I've gotten calls confirming the needs for the event from that same office, berating me about the need for that microphone and how I better have it and it better work, etc.
My solution involved patching in a portable wireless set that we have that, honestly, isn't in the greatest condition (in that order for a replacement mic, there were also orders for replacement mics for the portable set), but it would do in a pinch. I started setting it up about 3 hours before the event was to begin...only to find out that the replacement lavaliere was interfering with the signal of one of the handheld mics. Okay, no biggie, I just patched in the handheld mic from the same portable set. But wait...now the lavaliere from the portable set is piggybacking on the same frequency as the other lavaliere, effectively canceling it out when both are turned on.
Argh.
In the pouring down rain, I race home to get my own personal wireless microphone system in the hopes that the frequencies from that set won't do the same thing (it's a different brand, so I was hoping that the frequency ranges would differ). I get back to work and begin to set it all up again, only to discover that the audio coming out of the speakers in the room was...well, it was a bit dull and muffled. Unfortunately, I've encountered this before. It's often a sign that an amp is starting to die due to internal wiring problems - internal wiring problems likely brought on by the group that was in the room this morning.
When I initially went into the room to set up, I found my amplifier cart had been moved away from its usual spot and everything had been unplugged - apparently someone wanted to use it as an A/V cart with its extension cord, despite the fact that there was already an A/V cart clearly in the room (it was right next to where my projection screen had been, before they set it up on the stage). In the process of unplugging it, I have a feeling that the cart was moved harshly without actually taking care to unplug things from the floor (power cord, audio cable patched into the room's speakers). As a result, the wiring bay in the back of the amp was yanked and something was clearly damaged. I can't prove any of this, but I know the amp was fine yesterday.
So anyway, I'm setting up all the mics, trying to tweak the EQ on the amp to a point where it's tolerable for the time being. Finally, I get it to a point where it's not perfect, but it'll work. Now to try out my set of wireless mics - but then the group arrives. And what do they tell me?
Group Leader: "I actually only need one handheld wireless mic."
Kevin: "Just one? And no clip-on lavaliere mics at all?"
Group Leader: "Nope, just the one handheld."
Kevin (inside his head): "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
So...yeah. I don't blame the group leader, it certainly wasn't her fault. I blame the office that kept harping on this event, yet still not being able to get it right. The one benefit I got out of working with the amp so much today is that I discovered that I clearly need to order a new one and I'm really going to look into different models this time around since I really don't like the config of this one (and it's the second one we've gone through). If anyone has any suggestions for an amp, let me know. I'm not even too picky on the power of it (our current one is a Bogen Gold Seal 100 watt), I'd just like to have at least four XLR inputs (paired with 1/4" inputs, which the Bogen doesn't have), a stereo tape input (RCA jacks) and a 1/4" output (the Bogen doesn't have this either). In one of our vendor catalogs, I'm looking at an EV MA-606 (or its possessing-more-inputs siblings, the MA-1206 and the MA-1212), but the catalog doesn't have an image of the rear of the unit. Guess it's time to Google it.
And completely off topic, I think my Dell DJ has an affinity for Oasis. I have all my tracks on there shuffling (about 23GB worth) and whenever I reset the shuffle (after having added new albums and such), it always starts with a track from Oasis' "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?". Must have something to do with the shuffling algorithms, but still, it's creepy.
Monday, April 02, 2007
speaking of left field...
Baseball season!
Almost forgot that the Tigers game started about an hour and a half ago.
And as I post this, Sheff scores Granderson on a sac fly in the bottom of the 5th to tie up the game at 3. Nice.
lou lamoriello is a fool.
With the NHL playoffs almost upon us, crazy behavior isn't totally unexpected. However, this one really came out of left field.
---
Devils fire coach
Posted by The Star-Ledger April 02, 2007 1:19PM
The New Jersey Devils fired first-year Coach Claude Julien today - with three games left in the regular season and a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs already secured.---
Since Lamoriello can't be stupid enough to think that he'll be able to lead that team to the Cup (and before anyone chimes in and says he did this back in 2000 when they won the Cup, that year he replaced Ftorek with Larry Robinson, not himself), the only logical reason for doing this is a personal reason, not professional. Like if Julien slept with Lamoriello's wife or daughter or something. Personal or professional, either way this is a boneheaded move.
So, if the Wings - by some miracle - make it to the Cup Finals this year (and not another first round ouster as I've become accustomed to), I'll have to cross my fingers for a match-up with the Rangers (provided they can hold on and make it into the postseason) instead of the Devils, because what Lou did spells first-round exit all over the place.
(Now that I've made such claims, watch them go undefeated in the playoffs or something and make me look like a total ass...)
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