11.29.2010
11.07.2010
10.31.2010
10.25.2010
Stay the Course
As somewhat of a control freak, I constantly feel the need to make sure all parts of my life are going according to plan. Sometimes, I don't really have a plan to begin with, but even then I have a general idea of the direction I'd like things to follow. Recently, however, more than a few aspects of my life haven't turned out quite how I would have hoped.
Naturally, I was upset by these outcomes and fought until the very end to get my way, but things don't always go how you want; that's just life. And that's OK. Am I disappointed how things ended? Of course. Was I some cases hurt and upset? Absolutely, but it hasn't been the end of the world. Life just happens, and it is how you choose to react that defines you. You can sit there and curse until you've turned blue about how life sucks, or you can accept the outcome of situations and move forward with life.
Most of us have a path we want our lives to take and it's our job to follow that path, get pass any hurdles that may come our way, and keep moving forward.
10.17.2010
What To Do?
There used to be a point when I could consider my life as busy and complicated, yet manageable. There was a sort of beautiful chaos to it all. That is no longer the case. I feel like so many aspects of my life have spun out of control - whether through fault of my own or not - that I truly have no idea what to do anymore.
Some parts of my life have become so time-consuming that I honestly don't have enough to get everything I need done. Others have become so complicated that I don't know how to make sense of anything anymore. And lastly, one part of my life feels like it's simply become stagnant, which has just been making me depressed. That's probably the part that affects me the most. It shouldn't, but I can't help it and it's tough to feel like I can control the things I need to when I feel down.
Some parts of my life have become so time-consuming that I honestly don't have enough to get everything I need done. Others have become so complicated that I don't know how to make sense of anything anymore. And lastly, one part of my life feels like it's simply become stagnant, which has just been making me depressed. That's probably the part that affects me the most. It shouldn't, but I can't help it and it's tough to feel like I can control the things I need to when I feel down.
10.14.2010
10.06.2010
I'm Back... Again
So much has happened recently in my life that I feel now is the perfect time to return to blogging. Screw trying to accomplish silly goals; trying to post everyday was fine when I had the time, but my life the last few months has been incredibly busy. Instead, I'll simply post when I feel I have something to share. Simple as that.
I may not be posting as much as I used to, but I'm back and ready to type. Think of this as Blog Attempt 3.0.
6.11.2010
6.05.2010
6.04.2010
5.30.2010
Music Minute #20
Image from http://amberly-grace-feaver.deviantart.com/I may have fallen WAY behind on my posts, but I can at least do another Music Minute. Enjoy.
- Christina Aguilera feat. Nicki Minaj - "Woohoo"
- Chuckie feat. Jermaine Dupri & Lil Jon - "Let the Bass Kick"
- Diddy-Dirty Money feat. T.I. - "Hello Good Morning"
- Dan Balan - "Chica Bomb"
5.29.2010
Fail
I have failed. Simple as that. I had set out to post a blog entry everyday for a year, and I've failed. May was just too much for me to handle. This month has been crazy and drained me like never before. The combination of the classes I have this quarter, my new job, and other factors leave me exhausted and with no time to really devote to my blog.
So, what does this mean for my quest? Is it simply over, just like that? Not quite. My goal was to post an entry everyday, so I'd end up with 365 posts. Well, the first part of that goal wasn't met, but that doesn't mean I can't still finish the year with 365 posts.
New goal: 365 posts. I'll try my best to still write everyday, but ultimately I just want to end up with 365 posts. Of course, this means I'll have to double up posts a few days, but I have the rest of the year to catch up on missing posts.
I knew this was a huge undertaking when I started, and I knew it would be very difficult to achieve, but I went almost half a year, and I can live with that. Oh, well. Time for a new goal.
So, what does this mean for my quest? Is it simply over, just like that? Not quite. My goal was to post an entry everyday, so I'd end up with 365 posts. Well, the first part of that goal wasn't met, but that doesn't mean I can't still finish the year with 365 posts.
New goal: 365 posts. I'll try my best to still write everyday, but ultimately I just want to end up with 365 posts. Of course, this means I'll have to double up posts a few days, but I have the rest of the year to catch up on missing posts.
I knew this was a huge undertaking when I started, and I knew it would be very difficult to achieve, but I went almost half a year, and I can live with that. Oh, well. Time for a new goal.
5.21.2010
Highs and Lows
It's funny how a day can go through so many highs and lows.
Technically, it started with a low dealing with drama with a friend in the wee hours of the morning, which meant I got very little sleep. Work came next, which in itself is generally rather neutral. Luckily, today my school had a demonstration about motion capture technology, which was definitely a high and got me very excited.
Unfortunately, the day ended on a rather deep low once I got to my 3D Camera Techniques class. The instructor has been nothing but critical and judgmental about my group's project, and tonight it really got on my nerves. I was genuinely very excited walking into class, and within 15 minutes, I just wanted to get out of there.
Tomorrow is a new day, and hopefully with it comes new highs.
Technically, it started with a low dealing with drama with a friend in the wee hours of the morning, which meant I got very little sleep. Work came next, which in itself is generally rather neutral. Luckily, today my school had a demonstration about motion capture technology, which was definitely a high and got me very excited.
Unfortunately, the day ended on a rather deep low once I got to my 3D Camera Techniques class. The instructor has been nothing but critical and judgmental about my group's project, and tonight it really got on my nerves. I was genuinely very excited walking into class, and within 15 minutes, I just wanted to get out of there.
Tomorrow is a new day, and hopefully with it comes new highs.
5.20.2010
Music Minute #19
Image from http://alluringillusion.deviantart.com/Another Music Minute. Another set of songs. Enjoy.
- Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg - "California Gurls"
- Mickey Factz - "Alpha"
- Sade - "Soldier of Love"
- Uffie - "Robot Oeuf"
- Uffie feat. Pharrell Williams - "ADD SUV"
- Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg - "California Gurls"
- Mickey Factz - "Alpha"
- Sade - "Soldier of Love"
- Uffie - "Robot Oeuf"
- Uffie feat. Pharrell Williams - "ADD SUV"
5.19.2010
Rendering: The Next Chapter
New class. New assignment. Same epic struggle with my old foe, Rendering.
This time around it's for 3D Visual Effects, and although it isn't nearly as bad as my final for Materials & Lighting, it's a battle nonetheless. I've been rendering since about 6 PM and have 210 frames to show for it. I still have 715 to go.
If this is only the midterm, how bad will the final be?
This time around it's for 3D Visual Effects, and although it isn't nearly as bad as my final for Materials & Lighting, it's a battle nonetheless. I've been rendering since about 6 PM and have 210 frames to show for it. I still have 715 to go.
If this is only the midterm, how bad will the final be?
5.18.2010
Too Many Superheroes
It's no surprise that I'm a fan of comic books, but after seeing the trailers to the two following upcoming television series, I've decided that comic books/superheroes are saturating the media. What's more, it's not even good superheroes, but rather stupid obscure comic books that are being adapted. If the following shows aren't canceled before their first season is complete, I'll be surprised.
Take a look and decide for yourself.
Take a look and decide for yourself.
5.17.2010
Symbols
Who would've thought it would be so difficult coming up with symbols to represent the different majors at my school?
At work, my boss asked me to come up with designs for buttons that represent each of the departments at my school. It sounded like a fun assignment, so I immediately got to work. Some were actually very easy - like Culinary, Game Art & Design, Web Design, and Film - but others elusive no matter how much I thought about it. I ended up having to ask a few people around school for their ideas, and eventually we thought of symbols to represent Media Arts & Animation (my own major) and Interior Design. That left just Graphic Design; the most challenging of all. I asked multiple GD students what they felt would best represent them, and none could give me a good answer.
This has led me to believe that Graphic Design isn't a real course of study; it's more like a wannabe major, made up of bits and pieces of other majors. Think of Graphic Design like the English language: sure, I guess it's a language now, but at it's core it's just an amalgamation of a dozen other languages. Say any sentence, and you'll see influences/assimilation of German, Greek, Latin, Spanish, etc.
Good thing no Graphic Designers read this blog, otherwise they would be upset. Of course, I'm just kidding. Mostly. I'm currently trying to decide between three symbol ideas for Graphic Design, although none are screaming that they are they right choice. I guess I'll just have to keep tweaking the ideas until I get one right. Once I'm all done, I'll be sure to share what I came up with for all the majors.
At work, my boss asked me to come up with designs for buttons that represent each of the departments at my school. It sounded like a fun assignment, so I immediately got to work. Some were actually very easy - like Culinary, Game Art & Design, Web Design, and Film - but others elusive no matter how much I thought about it. I ended up having to ask a few people around school for their ideas, and eventually we thought of symbols to represent Media Arts & Animation (my own major) and Interior Design. That left just Graphic Design; the most challenging of all. I asked multiple GD students what they felt would best represent them, and none could give me a good answer.
This has led me to believe that Graphic Design isn't a real course of study; it's more like a wannabe major, made up of bits and pieces of other majors. Think of Graphic Design like the English language: sure, I guess it's a language now, but at it's core it's just an amalgamation of a dozen other languages. Say any sentence, and you'll see influences/assimilation of German, Greek, Latin, Spanish, etc.
Good thing no Graphic Designers read this blog, otherwise they would be upset. Of course, I'm just kidding. Mostly. I'm currently trying to decide between three symbol ideas for Graphic Design, although none are screaming that they are they right choice. I guess I'll just have to keep tweaking the ideas until I get one right. Once I'm all done, I'll be sure to share what I came up with for all the majors.
5.16.2010
Chica Bomb
My new favorite music video. (Not necessarily for the reasons you might think, although they certainly help.)
5.15.2010
Hello, Sun
I'm not typically a fan of hot weather, but today's weather was perfect. If every day of Summer can be like today, it'll be a great season. Hell, I may even go outside every once and a while. No promises, though.
5.14.2010
Jason Rico, Film Editor
I edited my first film tonight. OK, so maybe the term "film" is used loosely. It's only 45 seconds long, and it's by no means a masterpiece, but it still counts. Right?
5.12.2010
Time
Oh, Time, where have you gone?
You and I used to be such good friends. Sure, we had our share of moments where we would go days as though we were strangers, but we would always find each other again soon. Now, however, I feel we are drifting apart. I barely see you. Please come back to me soon.
I miss you. I need you.
5.11.2010
The Return of Solid Foods
It is so glorious to be able to eat solid foods again. Truth be told, I've been slowly reintroducing them into my diet since Sunday, but today was the first day I ate nothing but solid foods all day. It was more from circumstance than actual choice, but that's not important. Solid foods and I have been reunited, and it feels so good.
Of course, I still chew like a mouse, as to not get food stuck in the back of my mouth, but if looking silly while eating is the price I pay to eat real food again, I'll gladly pay it.
The only downside is that while I was on my diet of soup and other mushy foods, I managed to lose a few pounds. Now that I'm eating semi-normally again, I'll probably gain it all back. Oh well; guess I'll just have to hit the treadmill more regularly.
Of course, I still chew like a mouse, as to not get food stuck in the back of my mouth, but if looking silly while eating is the price I pay to eat real food again, I'll gladly pay it.
The only downside is that while I was on my diet of soup and other mushy foods, I managed to lose a few pounds. Now that I'm eating semi-normally again, I'll probably gain it all back. Oh well; guess I'll just have to hit the treadmill more regularly.
5.10.2010
Music Minute #18
Image from http://earthly-muse.deviantart.com/- Alicia Keys - "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"
- B.o.B. feat. Eminem & Hayley Williams of Paramore - "Airplanes, Part II"
- Christina Aguilera - "Not Myself Tonight"
- Drake - "Find Your Love"
- Steve Aoki feat. Zuper Blahq - "I'm in the House"
5.08.2010
Movie Review: Iron Man 2
Last night, to celebrate my birthday, some friends and I went to watch Iron Man 2 at the IMAX Theater.
Now, without trying to give away any spoilers, I loved it. Overall, the first movie is better, but this is a solid sequel. With comic book movies, sequels should be made to build on the mythologies and expand the universe, and this movie definitely did that well. The introductions of Black Widow and War Machine were well-written and organic. Sometimes, when new characters are introduced, they can feel forced; almost like filmmakers felt they needed to introduce more characters just to keep the story going. Not the case with IM2.
As far as the story itself goes, there were a lot of cheesy, unbelievable moments - even for a superhero film. I'm wont go into details, but there were at least 3 moments where I thought to myself, "Really?!" That aside, the story was solid and the acting fantastic. I really did buy into the characters and felt the actors were those characters.
All in all, the film is great and a worthy sequel. I can't wait to see what comes next, both in future sequels and other Marvel Universe films (Thor, Captain America: First Avenger, and The Avengers). Speaking of which, make sure you stick around after the credits; especially if you're a fellow fanboy.
On This Day...
25 years ago, a child was born. This child is me, I am he, and today is our birthday.
It was definitely a unique birthday. Here are the main reasons why:
- First of all, I had to work. Not uncommon, but definitely not quite my first choice.
- Because of the condition of my mouth, my lunch still consisted of only soup. Not my first choice for a birthday meal.
- I'd love to say that after work, I was able to go out and celebrate, but alas no. I unfortunately had class after work.
- On the plus side, I did receive a steady stream of birthday wishes both through text messages and my Facebook Wall. That definitely made me feel loved.
- Once I was done with class and finally escaped school, I met up with some friends for Chinese food. Again, the condition of my mouth only allowed for soup, so my birthday dinner was Egg Flower Soup. How pathetic is that?
- However, no matter what may have come before, the main attraction of the day was going to see Iron Man 2 at IMAX. I had been looking forward to this ALL day, and it did not disappoint. It was great going to watch it with friends, and that alone made my birthday worthwhile.
- On my way home, once I thought all the birthday festivities were over, the universe had one final gift for me. While driving on the freeway, I saw a bright falling star. Not a shooting star; a falling star. This star was falling straight down. At first, I thought it was a flare, but it burned long enough for me to know that it was in fact a meteor. I've been lucky enough to see many meteors, but this was one of the brightest and longest burning meteors I've ever seen. Just one last gift before I turned in for the night.
All in all, the day didn't really feel like a birthday, but it was still a good birthday. Not quite sure how that can be, but I'm not complaining. It was a good day, and I'm definitely glad for that.
It was definitely a unique birthday. Here are the main reasons why:
- First of all, I had to work. Not uncommon, but definitely not quite my first choice.
- Because of the condition of my mouth, my lunch still consisted of only soup. Not my first choice for a birthday meal.
- I'd love to say that after work, I was able to go out and celebrate, but alas no. I unfortunately had class after work.
- On the plus side, I did receive a steady stream of birthday wishes both through text messages and my Facebook Wall. That definitely made me feel loved.
- Once I was done with class and finally escaped school, I met up with some friends for Chinese food. Again, the condition of my mouth only allowed for soup, so my birthday dinner was Egg Flower Soup. How pathetic is that?
- However, no matter what may have come before, the main attraction of the day was going to see Iron Man 2 at IMAX. I had been looking forward to this ALL day, and it did not disappoint. It was great going to watch it with friends, and that alone made my birthday worthwhile.
- On my way home, once I thought all the birthday festivities were over, the universe had one final gift for me. While driving on the freeway, I saw a bright falling star. Not a shooting star; a falling star. This star was falling straight down. At first, I thought it was a flare, but it burned long enough for me to know that it was in fact a meteor. I've been lucky enough to see many meteors, but this was one of the brightest and longest burning meteors I've ever seen. Just one last gift before I turned in for the night.
All in all, the day didn't really feel like a birthday, but it was still a good birthday. Not quite sure how that can be, but I'm not complaining. It was a good day, and I'm definitely glad for that.
5.06.2010
Post Cinco de Mayo Aftermath
I noticed a lot more people were missing from class today than usual.
Perhaps they are hungover somewhere after celebrating too much last night? I wonder...
Perhaps they are hungover somewhere after celebrating too much last night? I wonder...
5.05.2010
Feliz Cinco de Mayo
Happy Mexican Independence Day!
Wait, Cinco de Mayo isn't Mexico's independence day? Oh, well it doesn't really matter to non-Mexicans. Whatever the significance of Cinco de Mayo, it's just another excuse for Americans to drink.
So, I hope you all have a fun and safe time tonight. Oh, and in case you are curious about the significance of Cinco de Mayo, it commemorates Mexico's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. This is celebrated because Mexico was outnumbered by the better trained and better equipped French army, yet still managed a victory.
There you go. A little education before you have your margaritas and tequila. Enjoy.
Wait, Cinco de Mayo isn't Mexico's independence day? Oh, well it doesn't really matter to non-Mexicans. Whatever the significance of Cinco de Mayo, it's just another excuse for Americans to drink.
So, I hope you all have a fun and safe time tonight. Oh, and in case you are curious about the significance of Cinco de Mayo, it commemorates Mexico's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. This is celebrated because Mexico was outnumbered by the better trained and better equipped French army, yet still managed a victory.
There you go. A little education before you have your margaritas and tequila. Enjoy.
5.04.2010
Success!
Today, I tasted the sweet flavors of my first solid food since getting my wisdom teeth pulled. Actually, it was only bread, so it was exactly sweet. In fact, it was actually rather bland. And I made sure I soaked it in my soup until it was nice and soggy, so it wasn't exactly solid... but it still counts!
Today, bread; tomorrow, who knows?
Today, bread; tomorrow, who knows?
5.03.2010
Reconstructive Surgery
The pain where my lower wisdom teeth used to be is getting pretty intense, even with drugs. That would be fine, if it weren't for the fact that I still can't really eat. Pain AND an inability to eat?! I'm not having it!
So, I've decided to simply remove my lower jaw and replace it with one made of metal. Something similar to this:
Sure, it'd probably hurt, but I'd at least be able to eat solid foods. Oh, how I miss solid foods...
So, I've decided to simply remove my lower jaw and replace it with one made of metal. Something similar to this:
Sure, it'd probably hurt, but I'd at least be able to eat solid foods. Oh, how I miss solid foods...
5.02.2010
It Happened
The one thing I was dreading after getting my wisdom teeth pulled has happened: I have chipmunk cheeks! I look like a freak of nature and feel like the Elephant Man.
"I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!"
I really hope this goes away by the end of tomorrow.
"I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!"
I really hope this goes away by the end of tomorrow.
5.01.2010
365 in 2010: April Completed
April started with a great trip to San Francisco, and ended with getting my wisdom teeth removed. Quite an interesting set of bookends.
April was definitely a very interesting month for me. I was sick multiple times, ended up finally making something happen with a girl I've been interested in for a while, began what is sure to be the quarter of hell, started a new job, started a very exciting (and stressful) filming project at school, and of course, ended with my wisdom teeth removed. All in all, a good month for blogging.
However, now that April is over and done with, now we can move on to my favorite month: May. This, of course, is partially due to my birthday, but May is also great because it is when all the great summer blockbusters kick off. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say about this in later posts.
Four months down, eight more to go.
Days Completed: 120
Days to Go: 245
April was definitely a very interesting month for me. I was sick multiple times, ended up finally making something happen with a girl I've been interested in for a while, began what is sure to be the quarter of hell, started a new job, started a very exciting (and stressful) filming project at school, and of course, ended with my wisdom teeth removed. All in all, a good month for blogging.
However, now that April is over and done with, now we can move on to my favorite month: May. This, of course, is partially due to my birthday, but May is also great because it is when all the great summer blockbusters kick off. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say about this in later posts.
Four months down, eight more to go.
Days Completed: 120
Days to Go: 245
4.30.2010
Chipmunk Cheeks
As I mentioned before, I had my wisdom teeth pulled today. Everything went OK, and I'm not really in any pain right now. My biggest fear is that I'll have giant chipmunk cheeks during the next week. I imagine I'd look something like this:
Not at all attractive.
Not at all attractive.Music Minute #17
Image from http://rorymac666.deviantart.com/Seeing as I will be drugged up and in no condition to do anything on account of having my wisdom teeth pulled, this seems like a perfect time to do a quick Music Minute. Give them a listen while I am no doubt passed out recovering.
- Alphabeat - "DJ (I Could be Dancing)"
- Alphabeat - "Hole in My Heart"
- Baby Bash feat. Marty James - "Fantasy Girl"
- Jamie Foxx feat. Justin Timberlake & T.I. - "Winner"
- Jusin Bieber - "Somebody To Love"
- Alphabeat - "DJ (I Could be Dancing)"
- Alphabeat - "Hole in My Heart"
- Baby Bash feat. Marty James - "Fantasy Girl"
- Jamie Foxx feat. Justin Timberlake & T.I. - "Winner"
- Jusin Bieber - "Somebody To Love"
4.29.2010
Don't Let Tomorrow Come
Tomorrow is the day; I'm getting my wisdom teeth pulled. It's been a long time coming, and I am not at all looking forward to it. It's not the surgery itself I'm worried about, it's the fact that I'm going to need an IV, and the thought of having a needle in me for a prolonged amount of time freaks me out. I'm OK with shots, but this is not a shot. This is leaving a needle inside of me!
Ugh. Wish me luck and let's just get this over with.
Ugh. Wish me luck and let's just get this over with.
4.28.2010
Scared of Who I'm Becoming...
Something is occurring deep inside; I can feel something changing. It isn't anything that anyone else will notice, but I can feel it happening. I am changing.
My school and work schedule is forcing me to go to bed earlier, and soon my sleep schedule will adjust itself for going to bed at a decent hour and waking up early.
I fear that in a week's time, the change will be complete; I will soon no longer be a nightowl. It is said that change is good, but I'm scared of who I'm becoming.
My school and work schedule is forcing me to go to bed earlier, and soon my sleep schedule will adjust itself for going to bed at a decent hour and waking up early.
I fear that in a week's time, the change will be complete; I will soon no longer be a nightowl. It is said that change is good, but I'm scared of who I'm becoming.
4.27.2010
Not the Usual Lunch
For the past seven quarters, I have had the good fortune on being on the Honor Roll at school. The only real perk of this is admittance to the Honors Luncheon, where the school provides a large lunch for the recipients. Every quarter, the restaurant that has catered the luncheon has been a great place called Todo Un Poco. This restaurant happened to be one of my favorite restaurants before I attended my first luncheon, so having them cater has been the cherry on top.
Every quarter, I look forward to attending this luncheon just so I can have a little bit of Todo Un Poco. Well, today was the luncheon for last quarter's grades, and there was no Todo Un Poco!
Now, I'm not complaining, because a free lunch is a free lunch, and we had delicious Chinese food instead, but I will admit that I was a little bummed. I guess that means I'll have to pay them a visit very soon.
Every quarter, I look forward to attending this luncheon just so I can have a little bit of Todo Un Poco. Well, today was the luncheon for last quarter's grades, and there was no Todo Un Poco!
Now, I'm not complaining, because a free lunch is a free lunch, and we had delicious Chinese food instead, but I will admit that I was a little bummed. I guess that means I'll have to pay them a visit very soon.
4.26.2010
In Memoriam
I was shocked when I read this article about Sony's decision to stop producing floppy disks. I had no idea they were still being made! I was under the impression that they had went extinct years ago. Shows how much I know. Read the article for yourself, here: The Floppy is Dead
In Memoriam. 1982 - 2010.
In Memoriam. 1982 - 2010.4.25.2010
A Good Day
Today was a good day. The weather was perfect - warm, but with a nice breeze - which of course meant some friends and I HAD to have a soccer game. That was a lot of fun. I'm still out of shape, so I need to work on that. Still, I managed to have some moments where I shined, particularly when it came to defense and not allowing certain players get by me.
Afterward, my best bud and I met up with some other friends for food. I haven't seen them in a long time, so it was great hanging with them again. We had a lot of fun just sitting and talking. After going for some yogurt, we called it a day and went home.
All in all, a very good day. Now it's time for a little television and then a good night's rest.
Afterward, my best bud and I met up with some other friends for food. I haven't seen them in a long time, so it was great hanging with them again. We had a lot of fun just sitting and talking. After going for some yogurt, we called it a day and went home.
All in all, a very good day. Now it's time for a little television and then a good night's rest.
4.24.2010
Time for a New Obama
I was never really impressed with Fred Armisen's portrayal of Obama on SNL, but after seeing him do it again on tonight's episode, I really feel they need to have someone else take over the gig. I think even I could do a better job.
4.23.2010
The Long Road Ahead
It's only Week 3 of the quarter, but I can already tell this quarter is going to be stressful beyond any before. Not only am I taking a full load of courses, but these classes are going to require tremendous amounts of work; both alone and with others, which is always stressful. Add to that my new job, and this is going to be a very stressful quarter.
I hope I can get through it.
I hope I can get through it.
4.22.2010
Internship
I have yet to hear any news on the internship with KlickNation. However, after going to the Sacramento Game Developers Meet-Up tonight hosted by them, and seeing some of the people that work for them, I'm not so sure I want to get it. There are definitely some appeals to working there, but I'm just not sure if I'm right for them. Sure, I suppose I'd end up doing well there, but I don't know if I'd be passionate about it. At the end of the day, shouldn't you want to do something your passionate about. and wouldn't they want people that are passionate about working there?
If they don't offer it to me, that makes it easy. If they do, then I have some serious thinking to do...
If they don't offer it to me, that makes it easy. If they do, then I have some serious thinking to do...
4.21.2010
Pixels
Keeping with the theme from yesterday of great videos that are short and sweet, but still show what a person can really do, here is another video. This one plays up the nerd factor more so than yesterday's, but is still really well made. Maybe even more so than yesterday's.
4.20.2010
Panic Attack
My hope for when I graduate is to be able to produce something like this video. It's nothing extraordinarily amazing, but it shows what someone can do without a big studio. If I can produce something short and sweet like this, I won't have to worry about finding a job. My work will speak for itself and get me hired.
4.19.2010
I Got the Job!
Yup, it's official - I got the student worker position at my school. The Director of Student Affairs called me this morning and informed me of the good news. I was half asleep when he called, so I hope I didn't say anything foolish, but I'm almost positive I didn't.
I'm so glad I got this job. Not only did I badly need one, but I really did feel this position would be perfect for me. I'm looking forward to getting started and making some changes.
Still no news on the internship, but I'll keep you posted as soon as I know. I'm not worried about it though, as this job was really the one I wanted.
I'm so glad I got this job. Not only did I badly need one, but I really did feel this position would be perfect for me. I'm looking forward to getting started and making some changes.
Still no news on the internship, but I'll keep you posted as soon as I know. I'm not worried about it though, as this job was really the one I wanted.
4.18.2010
Words About Me
I have an idea for a project, but in order to accomplish it, I'll need your help. I need you to list off as many words that describe me. Good, bad, adjective, noun, about my appearance, my personality, whatever. I'm going to need a lot of words, and I want words that describe who I AM, not who I THINK I am. A big part of who someone is based on how they're perceived.
While I hope most of you would have a decent amount of positive words to say, I definitely know I have a lot of faults, so feel free to speak your mind; I will not hold it against you in any way, shape or form. I want all sorts of words, so be honest and let's have it.
For those of you whom would like to remain anonymous, go to formspring.me and type your words where you would a question.
Also, feel free to bust out a dictionary or thesaurus to find some good words. Thanks. I look forward to seeing what words I get.
While I hope most of you would have a decent amount of positive words to say, I definitely know I have a lot of faults, so feel free to speak your mind; I will not hold it against you in any way, shape or form. I want all sorts of words, so be honest and let's have it.
For those of you whom would like to remain anonymous, go to formspring.me and type your words where you would a question.
Also, feel free to bust out a dictionary or thesaurus to find some good words. Thanks. I look forward to seeing what words I get.
4.17.2010
Music Minute #16
Image from http://2k00l4u.deviantart.com/Music Minute time. Here are five more songs. Check them out.
- David Guetta feat. Chris Willis, Fergie & LMFAO - "Gettin' Over You"
- The Generals - "I Found You"
- Justin Bieber & Sean Kingston - "Eenie Meenie"
- Lil Jon feat. LMFAO - "Outta Your Mind"
- T-Pain - "Take Your Shirt Off"
- David Guetta feat. Chris Willis, Fergie & LMFAO - "Gettin' Over You"
- The Generals - "I Found You"
- Justin Bieber & Sean Kingston - "Eenie Meenie"
- Lil Jon feat. LMFAO - "Outta Your Mind"
- T-Pain - "Take Your Shirt Off"
4.16.2010
Let's Make a Movie!
Looks like I'm going to end up making a short film in my 3D Camera Techniques that will be submitted to the Sacramento Film Festival. My program's academic director came into class today and talked to us for a bit about the class's new objective of creating a short film that incorporates live-action footage with 3D animation/camera work.
The aim is create something that's about a minute long, which isn't a long time at all, but if we make it short and sweet, it'll make a bigger impact than something longer and boring. I'm excited about this. This will be my program's first attempt at making something truly "professional" beyond just another school assignment.
The class has ten students and instead of all working on one film, we decided to break into two groups, and I'm excited about my group's idea. Unfortunately, we have a group member that I REALLY wish we didn't have, but him aside, I think I have a solid group. Hopefully that'll translate into a solid short film, as all of us are animators, not filmmakers.
The aim is create something that's about a minute long, which isn't a long time at all, but if we make it short and sweet, it'll make a bigger impact than something longer and boring. I'm excited about this. This will be my program's first attempt at making something truly "professional" beyond just another school assignment.
The class has ten students and instead of all working on one film, we decided to break into two groups, and I'm excited about my group's idea. Unfortunately, we have a group member that I REALLY wish we didn't have, but him aside, I think I have a solid group. Hopefully that'll translate into a solid short film, as all of us are animators, not filmmakers.
Monotony
Nothing quite breaks up the monotony like going on a late night In-n-Out run with one of your best friends when you've been couped up all week. And for good measure, let's stop off at Wal-Mart for the hell of it. Sometimes, just hanging out with those certain people makes all the difference.
4.14.2010
Two Interviews
The gods must have been smiling upon me today, because although I've been feeling like shit the last few days, I actually felt decent enough for both of my interviews today.
The first interview with KlickNation was ended up being a group interview with two other classmates. I knew they were being interviewed as well, but I thought it would be individually. Having two other familiar faces there ended up being really good. And since there are multiple internship positions, it wasn't like we were competing against each other and trying to sabotage the other. Richard, the Brand Development Director from KlickNation was really easy going and honestly sold me a little more about possibly working there. It still wouldn't want to be my end job, but I wouldn't mind having the experience there. Because the whole thing was so last minute, the work I had to show wasn't the best I could do, but he looked at it and said that he could see it fitting in to what they're doing and what they want, so that's good. I have to email him some follow-up stuff by Monday, so hopefully I'll hear something soon after that.
The second interview at my school for the Student Worker position was pretty straight-forward. I talked with the director many times before, so it was really just another conversation between us; maybe with a little more questions on his end. He mentioned that a lot of people applied for this position, so although I think my chances are good, I can't really be certain. He hopes to make a decision soon, so hopefully it'll be good news.
Two interviews in one day, and I think they both went well-enough. Of course, I've been wrong about these things many times before, so only time will tell.
The first interview with KlickNation was ended up being a group interview with two other classmates. I knew they were being interviewed as well, but I thought it would be individually. Having two other familiar faces there ended up being really good. And since there are multiple internship positions, it wasn't like we were competing against each other and trying to sabotage the other. Richard, the Brand Development Director from KlickNation was really easy going and honestly sold me a little more about possibly working there. It still wouldn't want to be my end job, but I wouldn't mind having the experience there. Because the whole thing was so last minute, the work I had to show wasn't the best I could do, but he looked at it and said that he could see it fitting in to what they're doing and what they want, so that's good. I have to email him some follow-up stuff by Monday, so hopefully I'll hear something soon after that.
The second interview at my school for the Student Worker position was pretty straight-forward. I talked with the director many times before, so it was really just another conversation between us; maybe with a little more questions on his end. He mentioned that a lot of people applied for this position, so although I think my chances are good, I can't really be certain. He hopes to make a decision soon, so hopefully it'll be good news.
Two interviews in one day, and I think they both went well-enough. Of course, I've been wrong about these things many times before, so only time will tell.
4.13.2010
Wish Me Luck
I'm not quite over my illness, not by a long shot, but I am definitely better. Let's just hope I'm even better tomorrow, since I have not one, but TWO job interviews.
The first is with KlickNation, a local game studio that specializes in games for social networks, such as Superhero City; which if you read my blog as religiously as I pretend you do, you've already heard about. The interview is for an unpaid internship, which I'm not too thrilled with, and I was notified about this interview VERY last minute, as in only a few hours ago, so I don't have an actual portfolio of the kind of work they're looking for to show them. Throw in the fact that this isn't even really the type of career I want to go into, and you're left with many reasons why I'm not too worried about not getting the position. Don't get me wrong, it'd definitely be great experience and could even turn into something paid down the line, but unless I have that certainty, I'm not gonna let it affect me.
The second interview was with my school for a Student Worker position in Student Affairs. This position IS paid, and I really feel is right up my alley. I've already tried hard on my own to set up events and make changes at the school on behalf of my fellow students, so imagine how much I could do if it's actually my job. This is the one I'm hoping for.
All in all, I have two big opportunities tomorrow, and I'd be lucky to snag either. Honestly, I'm hoping for both, would be more than happy with just the school position, would be shocked if I only got the KlickNation position, but would OK as long as I got one. Wish me luck tomorrow, and Tylenol, don't let me down.
The first is with KlickNation, a local game studio that specializes in games for social networks, such as Superhero City; which if you read my blog as religiously as I pretend you do, you've already heard about. The interview is for an unpaid internship, which I'm not too thrilled with, and I was notified about this interview VERY last minute, as in only a few hours ago, so I don't have an actual portfolio of the kind of work they're looking for to show them. Throw in the fact that this isn't even really the type of career I want to go into, and you're left with many reasons why I'm not too worried about not getting the position. Don't get me wrong, it'd definitely be great experience and could even turn into something paid down the line, but unless I have that certainty, I'm not gonna let it affect me.
The second interview was with my school for a Student Worker position in Student Affairs. This position IS paid, and I really feel is right up my alley. I've already tried hard on my own to set up events and make changes at the school on behalf of my fellow students, so imagine how much I could do if it's actually my job. This is the one I'm hoping for.
All in all, I have two big opportunities tomorrow, and I'd be lucky to snag either. Honestly, I'm hoping for both, would be more than happy with just the school position, would be shocked if I only got the KlickNation position, but would OK as long as I got one. Wish me luck tomorrow, and Tylenol, don't let me down.
Sick
So, I have some good news and I have some bad news.
The good news is that I've figured out why I was so cold and lethargic yesterday. The bad news is that the reason is because I'm sick. I don't mean an annoying cold sick; I'm talking about I have a fever and I'm pretty sure I have strep throat sick.
Damn, I need to stop kissing random girls...
The good news is that I've figured out why I was so cold and lethargic yesterday. The bad news is that the reason is because I'm sick. I don't mean an annoying cold sick; I'm talking about I have a fever and I'm pretty sure I have strep throat sick.
Damn, I need to stop kissing random girls...
4.11.2010
So Tired, So Cold...
I do not know what it's been, but all day I've been freezing and absolutely exhausted. No matter what I do - put on a sweater, turn on the heater, or get under a blanket - I keep shivering, and I've had no energy to do anything. It's not like I woke up super early, because I actually slept a decent amount; I'm just so lethargic. It's only about 9:30 PM, and I'm already sleepy!
I hope I just need a good night's rest and that when I wake up in the morning, I'll be good to go.
I hope I just need a good night's rest and that when I wake up in the morning, I'll be good to go.
4.10.2010
She makes me weak in the knees. =]
4.09.2010
School on Fridays
Yesterday I wrote about how my class schedule on Thursdays is going to have me at school from 8 AM until 9:30 PM, and how although that at first seemed insane, it was actually rather fun. Well, life has a sick way of being cruel because today's schedule, while only consisting of one class, felt longer than all three of my Thursday classes put together.
I'm not sure what it was, but I could not wait to get out of there. Hopefully today's class was an isolated event and the rest of the Fridays this quarter will be more bearable, otherwise it's going to be a long 10 weeks.
I'm not sure what it was, but I could not wait to get out of there. Hopefully today's class was an isolated event and the rest of the Fridays this quarter will be more bearable, otherwise it's going to be a long 10 weeks.
4.08.2010
150 Posts / School on Thursdays
It was brought to my attention a while ago that I never did anything special or even acknowledge when I hit 100 posts. Well, in an attempt to make up for that, this is my special double-sized 150th post.
OK, it's not really double-sized. It's just another regular post, but I am at least acknowledging it this time. Now onto the actual post.
...............
I love my Thursday classes this quarter. This is the first week of the new quarter, and when I found out I would be taking three classes in one day, which meant I would have to be at school from 8 AM to 9:20 PM, I was NOT looking forward to it. Granted, I was looking forward to the individual classes, but all at once?! Not so much. However, after going to each, I can genuinely say I've very excited about Thursdays this quarter.
First up is Compositing, which is where we are going to take separate elements - such as film, green screen footage, 3D models, special effects - and combine them into a single composition. This is going to be a fun class. Next up is Intermediate Motion Graphics, which focuses on the artistic and design side of creating things such as title sequences as well as all the fancy flourishes and visual elements used in things like commercials. Finally, there's 3D Visual Effects, which deals with recreating the science - such as collisions, fluids, particles, etc. - of real life in a 3D scene. All in all, I expect to do a lot of fun stuff.
Of course, I can already tell that each is going to have a lot of work. That means an exponential amount of homework due on the same day. So, I may be excited right now, but ask me again in a few weeks when the homework catches up with me; I may not be so excited then.
...............
So, there you have it; my special double-sized 150th post. Or not. Oh, well. Here's to another 150. Thanks for reading.
OK, it's not really double-sized. It's just another regular post, but I am at least acknowledging it this time. Now onto the actual post.
...............
I love my Thursday classes this quarter. This is the first week of the new quarter, and when I found out I would be taking three classes in one day, which meant I would have to be at school from 8 AM to 9:20 PM, I was NOT looking forward to it. Granted, I was looking forward to the individual classes, but all at once?! Not so much. However, after going to each, I can genuinely say I've very excited about Thursdays this quarter.
First up is Compositing, which is where we are going to take separate elements - such as film, green screen footage, 3D models, special effects - and combine them into a single composition. This is going to be a fun class. Next up is Intermediate Motion Graphics, which focuses on the artistic and design side of creating things such as title sequences as well as all the fancy flourishes and visual elements used in things like commercials. Finally, there's 3D Visual Effects, which deals with recreating the science - such as collisions, fluids, particles, etc. - of real life in a 3D scene. All in all, I expect to do a lot of fun stuff.
Of course, I can already tell that each is going to have a lot of work. That means an exponential amount of homework due on the same day. So, I may be excited right now, but ask me again in a few weeks when the homework catches up with me; I may not be so excited then.
...............
So, there you have it; my special double-sized 150th post. Or not. Oh, well. Here's to another 150. Thanks for reading.
4.07.2010
Music Minute #15
Image from http://esword.deviantart.com/If I am not mistaken, I do believe it is time for another Music Minute. Here are some of my favorite songs of the moment. Give them a listen and maybe they'll become some of yours, too.
- Aleks Syntek - "Loca"
- Black Eyed Peas - "Grapes"
- Lil Jon feat. Pitbull - "Work It Out"
- Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars - "Billionaire"
- Usher feat. will.i.am - "OMG"
- Aleks Syntek - "Loca"
- Black Eyed Peas - "Grapes"
- Lil Jon feat. Pitbull - "Work It Out"
- Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars - "Billionaire"
- Usher feat. will.i.am - "OMG"
Redemption
Redemption.
From any fears, from any worries.
From never making a move.
From feeling powerless.
Redemption.
A new ending has been written.
Now, as she climbs out of bed,
Only one thing remains:
Redemption.
From any fears, from any worries.
From never making a move.
From feeling powerless.
Redemption.
A new ending has been written.
Now, as she climbs out of bed,
Only one thing remains:
Redemption.
4.05.2010
Perfect Timing
Tomorrow is my first day of the new quarter, and I woke up today with a cold. Just great. I already felt like this was going to be the quarter from Hell, and this just proved it. Hopefully, I'll wake up magically cured. I doubt it, but here's to hoping...
4.04.2010
365 in 2010: March Completed
March was by by far the most difficult month so far in which to continuously post. A lot of things contributed to making it not only difficult to physically be able to post, but also to find the desire to even want to. However, March saw not only the one year anniversary of my blog, but also a variety of decent posts that I think contributed to it somewhat being a success. Hopefully, April will be even better.
Three months down, nine more to go.
Days Completed: 90
Days to Go: 275
Three months down, nine more to go.
Days Completed: 90
Days to Go: 275
4.03.2010
Weekend in San Francisco, Day 2
My first experience with waking up in San Francisco was very slow. We three of us woke up around 7 AM, and one of us wanted to get out of bed, so we stayed in another hour or so. Unfortunately, we knew we had to eventually get up, if only to move the car.
Let me take this moment to say that parking in San Francisco sucks. There are no parking spaces anywhere, and when you do finally find one, they're only two hours spots, so you have to move it way too soon anyway. We were lucky enough to be able to park Lil's car in front of Sara's driveway overnight, but we needed to move it in the morning.
After a 15 minute search for a new spot, we hiked back to Sara's apartment where I made omelettes for breakfast. Both Lil & Sara woke up feeling like they were catching a cold, so they weren't really in the mood to do anything too extensive, so we ended up just walking around town for a bit. When it was time for lunch, we ate a tiny Vietnamese place, which was alright. Not the best Vietnamese I've had, but it hit the spot.
By the time we were finished, we had to move the car. Again. So, we just drove back to the apartment. Lil and I decided to head back to Sacramento in order to beat traffic, so packed up our things and started walking to the car. Unfortunately, Lil closed the door behind everybody and realized that the door was locked...with the keys inside. Great. We can't leave and let Sara try to find a way back in by herself.
We tried to break in through the back door for maybe 10 minutes with no success. However, we realized that the keys were on the table about 7 ft. in front of one of the windows. Luckily, the window was unlocked, but it didn't open more than maybe 5 in. I grabbed a broom, reach through the window and carefully edged the keys to the edge of the table closest to me. Once I could move them no further, I reached in and was just barely able to reach the keys. Once again, Jason to the rescue.
Criminal activity finished, we all said our farewells and Lil & I made our way back to Sacramento. The weekend may have started off gloomy, but as we drove back, we had nothing but clear skies. A great ending to a great weekend.
Let me take this moment to say that parking in San Francisco sucks. There are no parking spaces anywhere, and when you do finally find one, they're only two hours spots, so you have to move it way too soon anyway. We were lucky enough to be able to park Lil's car in front of Sara's driveway overnight, but we needed to move it in the morning.
After a 15 minute search for a new spot, we hiked back to Sara's apartment where I made omelettes for breakfast. Both Lil & Sara woke up feeling like they were catching a cold, so they weren't really in the mood to do anything too extensive, so we ended up just walking around town for a bit. When it was time for lunch, we ate a tiny Vietnamese place, which was alright. Not the best Vietnamese I've had, but it hit the spot.
By the time we were finished, we had to move the car. Again. So, we just drove back to the apartment. Lil and I decided to head back to Sacramento in order to beat traffic, so packed up our things and started walking to the car. Unfortunately, Lil closed the door behind everybody and realized that the door was locked...with the keys inside. Great. We can't leave and let Sara try to find a way back in by herself.
We tried to break in through the back door for maybe 10 minutes with no success. However, we realized that the keys were on the table about 7 ft. in front of one of the windows. Luckily, the window was unlocked, but it didn't open more than maybe 5 in. I grabbed a broom, reach through the window and carefully edged the keys to the edge of the table closest to me. Once I could move them no further, I reached in and was just barely able to reach the keys. Once again, Jason to the rescue.
Criminal activity finished, we all said our farewells and Lil & I made our way back to Sacramento. The weekend may have started off gloomy, but as we drove back, we had nothing but clear skies. A great ending to a great weekend.
Weekend in San Francisco, Day 1
On April 1st, I posted what I said was going to be my last post for a while. Well, in case you didn't catch on, that was simply a lame April's Fool prank. Don't worry my three faithful readers, my blog will unfortunately continue.
As you may or may not have noticed, I did not post anything yesterday. The reason for this is simple: I was in San Francisco and had no internet access. Worry not, for I shall fill you in on my time there.
My friend Lil invited to go with her to visit her childhood friend, Sara, who just recently moved to San Francisco. I was very hesitant to go, knowing that being stuck out of town with someone I don't know could potentially be very awkward. However, I was feeling adventurous and eventually decided to go. I am so glad I did.
The drive there included cloudy skies, steady rain and lots of traffic, so it wasn't the best, but it also wasn't bad at all. It gave Lil and I a chance to get to know each other a lot better, and having someone to chat with made the trip go by so much faster. When we arrived, we picked up Sara from work and drove back to her apartment. Right away, I could tell Sara was a cool girl, so I knew this would be a fun weekend. Unfortunately, it was still raining, so we weren't quite sure what to do, but we eventually decided to go out for dinner and decide from there. What we ended up doing was bar hopping.
The first bar we went to was called the Kozy Kar, and this place was crazy. The interior was decorated with lots of car parts - such as grills, car seats, etc. - AS WELL AS lots of pictures of nude centerfolds. All along the floors and the walls were collages of centerfolds. I didn't go into the bathroom, but Lil did and she said the collages extended into there, too. The fun doesn't stop there, thought, because this place was also equipped with waterbeds. That's right; waterbeds. There were three spots in this place that had waterbeds instead of seats. Lil, Sara & I climbed into one and chilled there for a while. Such a weird experience, but also a lot of fun.
Eventually, we decided to leave because the drinks were a little expensive and we found our way into another bar whose name escapes me. This place was a lot slower and not nearly as decorative, but it was still an experience. The bartender there was an Asian woman with a strong accent. I felt like I was ordering drinks from Ms. Swan of MadTV fame. I ordered a round of drinks for us, and she responded with a series of questions I barely understood to which I simply agreed with. We got what I wanted, so I guess saying yes was the way to go. There was a couple there playing pool, and Sara and I decided to challenge them to a game. Unfortunately we lost, but only by one ball. That doesn't matter though, because I played for fun, not to win. I am not at all a pool player.
After our game, we went to another bar called The Hydeout that had bored games. We grabbed Rummikub, ordered some drinks and went upstairs to play. By the time we were done with our two rounds of shots, added to the drinks we've already had at the other bars, we were all feeling good. We kept joking around and talking about all sorts of inappropriate matters that we never really finished our game, but who cares; I would've won anyway.
After buying some six-packs of booze, we made our way back to Sara's apartment, and continued the fun. We went out back and hula hooped, which I have not even tried since maybe 4th grade. Surprisingly, I was able to do it for a decent amount of time, even though I probably looked like a fool doing it. I guess that thrusting motion that just comes naturally to me.
Eventually, we all started getting tired, so we changed into our PJs. Sara's only sleeping surface is a bed, which her and Lil decided to share. I was fine sleeping on the floor, but they weren't having it and insisted I climbed into bed with them. And that's how I choose to end the story of that night. I'll write about the next day in my next post.
As you may or may not have noticed, I did not post anything yesterday. The reason for this is simple: I was in San Francisco and had no internet access. Worry not, for I shall fill you in on my time there.
My friend Lil invited to go with her to visit her childhood friend, Sara, who just recently moved to San Francisco. I was very hesitant to go, knowing that being stuck out of town with someone I don't know could potentially be very awkward. However, I was feeling adventurous and eventually decided to go. I am so glad I did.
The drive there included cloudy skies, steady rain and lots of traffic, so it wasn't the best, but it also wasn't bad at all. It gave Lil and I a chance to get to know each other a lot better, and having someone to chat with made the trip go by so much faster. When we arrived, we picked up Sara from work and drove back to her apartment. Right away, I could tell Sara was a cool girl, so I knew this would be a fun weekend. Unfortunately, it was still raining, so we weren't quite sure what to do, but we eventually decided to go out for dinner and decide from there. What we ended up doing was bar hopping.
The first bar we went to was called the Kozy Kar, and this place was crazy. The interior was decorated with lots of car parts - such as grills, car seats, etc. - AS WELL AS lots of pictures of nude centerfolds. All along the floors and the walls were collages of centerfolds. I didn't go into the bathroom, but Lil did and she said the collages extended into there, too. The fun doesn't stop there, thought, because this place was also equipped with waterbeds. That's right; waterbeds. There were three spots in this place that had waterbeds instead of seats. Lil, Sara & I climbed into one and chilled there for a while. Such a weird experience, but also a lot of fun.
Eventually, we decided to leave because the drinks were a little expensive and we found our way into another bar whose name escapes me. This place was a lot slower and not nearly as decorative, but it was still an experience. The bartender there was an Asian woman with a strong accent. I felt like I was ordering drinks from Ms. Swan of MadTV fame. I ordered a round of drinks for us, and she responded with a series of questions I barely understood to which I simply agreed with. We got what I wanted, so I guess saying yes was the way to go. There was a couple there playing pool, and Sara and I decided to challenge them to a game. Unfortunately we lost, but only by one ball. That doesn't matter though, because I played for fun, not to win. I am not at all a pool player.
After our game, we went to another bar called The Hydeout that had bored games. We grabbed Rummikub, ordered some drinks and went upstairs to play. By the time we were done with our two rounds of shots, added to the drinks we've already had at the other bars, we were all feeling good. We kept joking around and talking about all sorts of inappropriate matters that we never really finished our game, but who cares; I would've won anyway.
After buying some six-packs of booze, we made our way back to Sara's apartment, and continued the fun. We went out back and hula hooped, which I have not even tried since maybe 4th grade. Surprisingly, I was able to do it for a decent amount of time, even though I probably looked like a fool doing it. I guess that thrusting motion that just comes naturally to me.
Eventually, we all started getting tired, so we changed into our PJs. Sara's only sleeping surface is a bed, which her and Lil decided to share. I was fine sleeping on the floor, but they weren't having it and insisted I climbed into bed with them. And that's how I choose to end the story of that night. I'll write about the next day in my next post.
4.01.2010
Farewell
As some of you may have noticed from reading some of my more recent posts, I've been going through some personal issues at the moment; all of which have left me with no desire to keep posting in the blog. So, I've simply decided to stop posting for the time being. I know I set out to post something everyday for a year, but I only want to do that if my heart is in it, and the truth is that I simply do not have the desire to do so right now.
I do want to say that it's been a lot of fun having this blog for the last year. Hopefully I'll come back soon, but if not, take care and April's Fools.
I do want to say that it's been a lot of fun having this blog for the last year. Hopefully I'll come back soon, but if not, take care and April's Fools.
3.31.2010
Rendering Sucks: The Final Result
So, I figured after all the whining I did about how horrible rendering is, the least I could do is share with you what all the fuss was about. Here is my final project for my Materials & Lighting class:
The assignment was to simply texture a scene using multiple methods and light it. I decided to take a short animation I had previously made, with no textures or lighting whatsoever, and take it to the next level. Hands down the worse experience I've had with any final. However, I finally got it finished and to a point where I can be happy with it. Still not quite what I wanted, but good enough.
The assignment was to simply texture a scene using multiple methods and light it. I decided to take a short animation I had previously made, with no textures or lighting whatsoever, and take it to the next level. Hands down the worse experience I've had with any final. However, I finally got it finished and to a point where I can be happy with it. Still not quite what I wanted, but good enough.
3.30.2010
Magical Energy Drinks
A few days ago, I placed a Monster Energy drink into the freezer in an attempt to get it cold during the 30 minutes or so it took for me to get ready to go out. Unfortunately, I totally forgot about and there it stayed for days. As is always the case with canned beverages left in the freezer, it expanded as it froze and exploded leaving pink slush all over the shelf it was on; something I discovered when I opened the freezer earlier today.
I took out the can and placed it by the sink as I cleaned the freezer. After a while, when what remained in the can melted, I proceeded to pour it into the sink. Funny thing is that when I was pouring it, the liquid was green. It was pink when frozen; green when a liquid.
I wonder what color it is when it's a gas?
I took out the can and placed it by the sink as I cleaned the freezer. After a while, when what remained in the can melted, I proceeded to pour it into the sink. Funny thing is that when I was pouring it, the liquid was green. It was pink when frozen; green when a liquid.
I wonder what color it is when it's a gas?
3.29.2010
Jason Rico 2.0
What a strange week it's been. It started off with the normal stress from finals, but it's been a rollercoaster ride since then. There have been the events involving Leigh, the nonstop headache of having to deal with slow rendering, then finally the emotional rollercoaster from last night.
Obviously, I wasn't much in the mood to write anything last night, but since then, I've done a lot of thinking and my entire mindset has changed. I received some news last night involving Leigh and someone I considered a friend. The news really devastated me, and left me depressed and honestly more upset than I've been in a long time.
However, after talking to a few different people, I simply decided to change my outlook on some aspects of my life, and how I choose to react in certain situations. It's a new day and it's time for a new Jason; the leash has come off.
Obviously, I wasn't much in the mood to write anything last night, but since then, I've done a lot of thinking and my entire mindset has changed. I received some news last night involving Leigh and someone I considered a friend. The news really devastated me, and left me depressed and honestly more upset than I've been in a long time.
However, after talking to a few different people, I simply decided to change my outlook on some aspects of my life, and how I choose to react in certain situations. It's a new day and it's time for a new Jason; the leash has come off.
3.28.2010
Jason is Not in Right Now...
I know I'm supposed to post something everyday, but I honestly don't feel like posting anything of substance. So instead, I'll simply say this: I'm usually great with words, but right now I just can't describe the absolute anger and sadness I'm feeling. Why do words fail when you can need them the most?
3.27.2010
Who Wants to Go Shopping?
I've decided to become a personal shopper. Forget this animation nonsense; picking out outfits for other people is where it's at.
Today, while I was at the river with some friends, Leigh asked me to go and help her shop for clothes. My initial thought was, "Definitely not. I am not a platonic straight friend or your gay bff, and I don't want you seeing me as such". However, I eventually decided it might be fun, so I went along. After all, picking out outfits for her meant she'd have to try them on for me.
Personal motives aside, the experience was actually a lot of fun. I've always joked around that I wish I could dress some people, and this was finally my chance. By the time we were done, I helped her pick out some great clothes that made sure she'd look amazing. Having a beautiful woman try on clothes for you isn't the worst thing in the world.
This made me think: if I could help one person, why not others? There are plenty of people out there that have no idea how to dress, and it is my job to make this world a prettier place, one person at a time.
So, anybody need a personal shopper?
Today, while I was at the river with some friends, Leigh asked me to go and help her shop for clothes. My initial thought was, "Definitely not. I am not a platonic straight friend or your gay bff, and I don't want you seeing me as such". However, I eventually decided it might be fun, so I went along. After all, picking out outfits for her meant she'd have to try them on for me.
Personal motives aside, the experience was actually a lot of fun. I've always joked around that I wish I could dress some people, and this was finally my chance. By the time we were done, I helped her pick out some great clothes that made sure she'd look amazing. Having a beautiful woman try on clothes for you isn't the worst thing in the world.
This made me think: if I could help one person, why not others? There are plenty of people out there that have no idea how to dress, and it is my job to make this world a prettier place, one person at a time.
So, anybody need a personal shopper?
3.26.2010
Music Minute #14
Image from http://blasiusk.deviantart.com/As I struggle to keep my eyes awake due to the lack of sleep, I present to you these songs five - the lucky tracks to be featured in this Music Minute - in the hopes that you will listen to them while I attempt to find a few hours of much needed sleep. Enjoy.
- Akon - "Nosy Neighbour"
- Cassie feat. Akon - "Let's Get Crazy"
- Ellie Goulding - "Starry Eyed"
- Estelle feat. Kardinal Offishall - "Freak"
- Vampire Weekend - "Giving Up the Gun"
3.25.2010
Rendering STILL Sucks
I really have nothing else to say right now, so I guess that's it. Come back tomorrow.
Rendering Sucks
This is a note to anyone that at some point in their lives will have to deal with the process of rendering footage: it sucks.
I've been rendering a 14 second scene over the last three days, and just now did I realize I rendered the last half incorrectly. So now I have to re-render that, THEN render out another scene. All before 1 PM tomorrow. HA! Yeah, right.
Gods of Maya and Rendering, I need a miracle...
I've been rendering a 14 second scene over the last three days, and just now did I realize I rendered the last half incorrectly. So now I have to re-render that, THEN render out another scene. All before 1 PM tomorrow. HA! Yeah, right.
Gods of Maya and Rendering, I need a miracle...
3.24.2010
Slumber Party
Last night was very interesting.
I guess, technically, it would have been this morning, but the time of day isn't really important; it's what happened.
I've recently become friends with a girl at school, and over the last few days, this girl - whom we shall call Leigh - and I have found ourselves chatting and texting each other a lot. Two nights ago, during one of our late night text conversations, Leigh mentioned that she was hungry and that I should take her some food. I immediately responded that she should bring me some food. Just a little playful banter that I expected to lead into another conversation. To my surprise, she responded that we should both go out and eat. It was around 1 AM, and the two of us had never done anything aside from a couple of larger group functions. As busy as I was with finals, food sounded good, and soon so we found ourselves at Denny's. That night was great; we talked so much that neither of us had even looked at the menu by the time our server got to out table, we playfully threw trash at each other, and we made each other laugh. I think that's a great night in anyone's book.
However, this post is about last night. Again, it started with a late night conversation, this time online. The time was about 2:00 AM, and we're both still up working on finals. Earlier that day, Leigh's car had broken down, and during out conversation, she mentioned that she wasn't sure how she would get to school. Being the helpful gentleman that I am, I offered that I could pick her up early and we could ride over to school together. Again to my surprise, she responded that I should just go pick her up right now so she could use my bed to sleep since I wouldn't be using it. (Earlier on, I had mentioned that I would be up all night working on finals and wouldn't be getting any sleep.) As shocked as I was, and as tempted as I was with all the possibilities to which this could lead, I tried my best to squash the idea. I did, after all, have a lot of finals to work on, plus the fact that my room was an absolute mess and there would be no way anyone would be seeing it for a long time. After a few more back-and-forths, nothing more was said about her coming over.
At least not for a while.
About 30 minutes later, Leigh said that she was done with her homework, would be taking a quick shower, then I should go pick her up.
I'm sure my mind totally shut down for a moment as it overloaded trying to process the information. Clearly, she was determined on coming over, and I couldn't really say no. After all, it was I who first mentioned riding with me to school the next morning. I immediately jumped up, and spent the next 15 minutes trying my best to clean the living room and bathroom, as well as the computer room where the futon (that I was going to set up for her; I wasn't kidding about no one seeing my room) was located. I brushed my teeth, gave myself a quick check in the mirror, made a few adjustments, sprayed a little body spray, and I left to pick up my soon-to-be guest.
During our night out at Denny's, Leigh had mentioned that her hair is naturally wavy. When I suggested she come to school with wavy hair one day, she told me that the only way someone would see her hair like that is if they stood right next to her bed as she woke up; before she rushed to straighten it. So, you can imagine my surprise when I pulled up and out she comes with wavy hair. I don't know what she was talking about, but she's still gorgeous with wavy hair. I'll admit that some people look better with either wavy or straight hair, but she pulls off both so nicely. She also didn't have on any make-up; another first for my eyes. Again, still beautiful.
When we arrived at my place, my plan was for Leigh to get a few hours of sleep while I worked on my final. She, on the other hand, decided she would simply stay awake with me throughout the night. I didn't mind, of course, but do you have any idea how difficult it is to focus on homework when you have a beautiful girl sitting next to you, just staring at you? Nearly impossible; that difficult. Once I realized that I could just give up getting anything done the rest of the night, we moved over to the futon and just hung out. We sat down, chatted, and joked around. This lead to us laying down next to each other where we continued to goof around, this time including playful poking and tickling.
This went on for a while until, unfortunately, the time came when we had to get ready for school. (Damn school...) Maybe it was just a playful night amongst friends, but damn if it didn't leave me feeling confused. Oh well; I'm too busy with finals to even really think about any of it right now. For now, I'm just going to say it was very unexpected, but also very fun. Not at all a bad way to start the day.
I guess, technically, it would have been this morning, but the time of day isn't really important; it's what happened.
I've recently become friends with a girl at school, and over the last few days, this girl - whom we shall call Leigh - and I have found ourselves chatting and texting each other a lot. Two nights ago, during one of our late night text conversations, Leigh mentioned that she was hungry and that I should take her some food. I immediately responded that she should bring me some food. Just a little playful banter that I expected to lead into another conversation. To my surprise, she responded that we should both go out and eat. It was around 1 AM, and the two of us had never done anything aside from a couple of larger group functions. As busy as I was with finals, food sounded good, and soon so we found ourselves at Denny's. That night was great; we talked so much that neither of us had even looked at the menu by the time our server got to out table, we playfully threw trash at each other, and we made each other laugh. I think that's a great night in anyone's book.
However, this post is about last night. Again, it started with a late night conversation, this time online. The time was about 2:00 AM, and we're both still up working on finals. Earlier that day, Leigh's car had broken down, and during out conversation, she mentioned that she wasn't sure how she would get to school. Being the helpful gentleman that I am, I offered that I could pick her up early and we could ride over to school together. Again to my surprise, she responded that I should just go pick her up right now so she could use my bed to sleep since I wouldn't be using it. (Earlier on, I had mentioned that I would be up all night working on finals and wouldn't be getting any sleep.) As shocked as I was, and as tempted as I was with all the possibilities to which this could lead, I tried my best to squash the idea. I did, after all, have a lot of finals to work on, plus the fact that my room was an absolute mess and there would be no way anyone would be seeing it for a long time. After a few more back-and-forths, nothing more was said about her coming over.
At least not for a while.
About 30 minutes later, Leigh said that she was done with her homework, would be taking a quick shower, then I should go pick her up.
I'm sure my mind totally shut down for a moment as it overloaded trying to process the information. Clearly, she was determined on coming over, and I couldn't really say no. After all, it was I who first mentioned riding with me to school the next morning. I immediately jumped up, and spent the next 15 minutes trying my best to clean the living room and bathroom, as well as the computer room where the futon (that I was going to set up for her; I wasn't kidding about no one seeing my room) was located. I brushed my teeth, gave myself a quick check in the mirror, made a few adjustments, sprayed a little body spray, and I left to pick up my soon-to-be guest.
During our night out at Denny's, Leigh had mentioned that her hair is naturally wavy. When I suggested she come to school with wavy hair one day, she told me that the only way someone would see her hair like that is if they stood right next to her bed as she woke up; before she rushed to straighten it. So, you can imagine my surprise when I pulled up and out she comes with wavy hair. I don't know what she was talking about, but she's still gorgeous with wavy hair. I'll admit that some people look better with either wavy or straight hair, but she pulls off both so nicely. She also didn't have on any make-up; another first for my eyes. Again, still beautiful.
When we arrived at my place, my plan was for Leigh to get a few hours of sleep while I worked on my final. She, on the other hand, decided she would simply stay awake with me throughout the night. I didn't mind, of course, but do you have any idea how difficult it is to focus on homework when you have a beautiful girl sitting next to you, just staring at you? Nearly impossible; that difficult. Once I realized that I could just give up getting anything done the rest of the night, we moved over to the futon and just hung out. We sat down, chatted, and joked around. This lead to us laying down next to each other where we continued to goof around, this time including playful poking and tickling.
This went on for a while until, unfortunately, the time came when we had to get ready for school. (Damn school...) Maybe it was just a playful night amongst friends, but damn if it didn't leave me feeling confused. Oh well; I'm too busy with finals to even really think about any of it right now. For now, I'm just going to say it was very unexpected, but also very fun. Not at all a bad way to start the day.
3.23.2010
Push It to the Limit
Finals are always a stressful time, but this quarter has a new layer of stress. Now instead of just worrying about finishing, I also have to worry I don't ask too much of my computer. I've been working it extra hard lately, and I really hope it can take the heat. So far it's been a trooper, but I know everything has it's breaking point. I've been pushing it to the limit; let's hope I don't push it past the point of no return.
3.21.2010
Finals
Finals = No time for anything else. Hopefully I'll be back (and back to sanity) later this week.
3.20.2010
Top Gear
For those of you who have never watched it, please do yourself a favor and check out Top Gear. It's a British television series about cars, but it's way more fun than you would think, which means you don't need to be a fan of cars to enjoy it. Each episode features amazingly beautiful, yet ridiculous, supercars, and hilarious challenges that you really need to see to understand. When I first discovered it last year, I instantly fell in love and hands down, it has become one of my favorite TV series.
Top Gear on BBC America. Watch it.
Top Gear on BBC America. Watch it.
3.19.2010
The Final Countdown, Winter 2010
With the end of today came the end of Week 10 for the Winter Quarter and the realization that there is only one week left until Spring Break. I know this sounds like it should be cause for celebration, but this unfortunately means one last week of absolutely hell as I try to finish up my final projects in time, and to standards with which I am happy. Week 11 means little to no sleep, no free time, high stress, and constant doubting of my talents/creativity.
This is it; only one week to go until freedom. Cue music by Europe.
This is it; only one week to go until freedom. Cue music by Europe.
3.18.2010
Blog Update
As I'm sure most of you know, I am current in the middle of my goal to post in my blog once a day for an entire year. Although I've managed a post per day, these posts aren't always during that actual day; sometimes I don't get to post until after midnight the next morning. This has been especially true for many of my last few posts.
Just to clarify: my goal isn't to post an entry everyday during the hours of 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM. My goal is to post an entry that represent a day in my life for an entire year. Sometimes, my days don't actually end until the next morning, so although I will try my best to post entries during the actual calendar they represent, some of my posts will be posted early the next morning.
Ultimately, when 2010 is over, I want to look back and see at least 365 entries; sort of an online journal of the year, if you will. So far, I'm right on schedule.
Just to clarify: my goal isn't to post an entry everyday during the hours of 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM. My goal is to post an entry that represent a day in my life for an entire year. Sometimes, my days don't actually end until the next morning, so although I will try my best to post entries during the actual calendar they represent, some of my posts will be posted early the next morning.
Ultimately, when 2010 is over, I want to look back and see at least 365 entries; sort of an online journal of the year, if you will. So far, I'm right on schedule.
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Nothing says St. Patrick's Day like a drunk guy in a kilt (even though kilts are Scottish, not Irish), trying to fight off the attempts of his "friends" to get a picture of his leprechaun and pots of gold.
I hope everyone had a fun & safe St. Patrick's Day.
I hope everyone had a fun & safe St. Patrick's Day.
3.17.2010
Science Lab #1
Today's question come to us from Brittany, in Sacramento:
What a great question, Brittany! Simply put, Earth spins because of inertia.
What does that mean, you might ask?
Well, inertia means that an object will always continue moving at its current speed and in its current direction until some force causes its speed or direction to change.
What does that have to do with the Earth?
During its formation, the solar system was a large, rotating cloud of dust, rocks, and gas. Eventually, some of the gas and dust clustered together due to gravity to form planets. With nothing to stop the initial spinning of the solar system, the planets, including Earth, still spin to this day.
..........
There you have it! Thanks again for the question, Brittany! And to the rest of you, make sure you keep sending in your science questions and maybe I'll answer yours during the next Science Lab!
"Why does the world spin?"
What a great question, Brittany! Simply put, Earth spins because of inertia.
What does that mean, you might ask?
Well, inertia means that an object will always continue moving at its current speed and in its current direction until some force causes its speed or direction to change.
What does that have to do with the Earth?
During its formation, the solar system was a large, rotating cloud of dust, rocks, and gas. Eventually, some of the gas and dust clustered together due to gravity to form planets. With nothing to stop the initial spinning of the solar system, the planets, including Earth, still spin to this day.
..........
There you have it! Thanks again for the question, Brittany! And to the rest of you, make sure you keep sending in your science questions and maybe I'll answer yours during the next Science Lab!
3.15.2010
Music Minute #13
Image from http://germania.deviantart.com/Time for another Music Minute. Here are some of my favorite songs of the moment. Give them a listen and maybe they'll become some of yours, too.
- HardNox - "Fist Pump"
- HURTS - "Blood, Tears & Gold"
- HURTS - "Wonderful Life"
- Marina and the Diamonds - "Mowgli's Road"
- Trey Songz feat. Fabolous - "Say Aah"
3.14.2010
Club Suha
As promised, here is the story of last night, which shall come to be known as Club Suha.
Last night was the birthday party of a classmate, and everyone knew it would be THE event of the quarter. For the last few weeks, everyone had been talking about it, and I'm sure a lot of that had to do with the fact that it would be right before finals really kicked in. It would be the perfect way to get together with friends and have some fun before we each became locked up doing our individual projects.
When my buddy and I first got there, it was slightly like walking into a different world. We knew from the guestlist online that a lot of our classmate's family would be there, but walking up the driveway into a crowd where everyone was looking at us with expressions as is thinking, "Who are these guys and what are they doing here?" was a bit disconcerting. Still, we proceeded right into the house like we knew we belonged there.
As we made our way into the kitchen to greet our hostess, I felt like I had been magically transported into the episode of Friends, where Chandler gets drunk and sleeps with one of Joey's sisters, but cannot remember which one the next day. The kitchen was filled with about 10 girls, each a brunette with long hair, wearing something sexy and heels. It was like I had walked into the kitchen of a mad scientist who had decided to make clones of the same girl. Lucky, two close friends (the sisters from this post) were there, so that was a plus. Eventually, even more schoolmates showed up, and then things really got interesting.
I decided to give the birthday girl a faux-lapdance, which was all fun and games until some random girl who was having a little too much fun (and by fun I mean alcohol) ran up to me and started grinding up on me like I was a fire needing to be put out. She pressed up against me with such force that I almost crushed the birthday girl behind me. Sadly, that was not the last of that girl, whom would come to be known as the Pink Shirt Girl, as she later decided to take off her shirt and dance around in her bra. There's always one at every party...
About halfway through the night, a friend and I decided to have a krump battle, and even convinced the birthday girl to join in. It was definitely the most epic krump battle ever, or at least that night. I'm kind of surprised Pink Shirt Girl didn't join in. Maybe she was passed out somewhere.
At the end of the night, a small group of us were hanging out in the other room, away from the music and dancing, and somehow got into the intricacies of how to the the Worm. I'm not sure how it started, but we realized that one friend could only do it going backward, I could only do it going forward, and another friend could only look like a fool trying to do it going forward or backward.
As is always the case, the party came to an end, and we were kindly asked to leave. After my buddy and I were in the car, along with the sisters and one of their boyfriends, I attempted to drive off only to be blocked by someone standing in the middle of the road. I don't remember seeing him at all during the party, but for some reason he decided he needed to block us. At first I simply thought he was joking around, and I attempted to drive around, but he took a few steps back and kept blocking us. When we rolled down the window and kindly asked if he could please move, he simply responded saying that no one was leaving. The boyfriend decided to step out of the car and have a few words with our would-be roadblock, and was soon followed by my buddy. The only thing I thought was, "Great. We're gonna have fight on our hands when we almost went the whole night hiccup free." Luckily, the boyfriend and my buddy were able to move our blockade without any confrontation, although it was difficult to get the boyfriend back into the car. He clearly wasn't done exchanging words with our oppressor, despite the three times I yelled for him to get back into the car.
Eventually, we got him into the car, and we were off. After one final hurdle when we went the wrong way on a street for about 10 minutes, we finally found the freeway and with that, ended the chapter of a great night. I definitely look forward to doing that again.
Last night was the birthday party of a classmate, and everyone knew it would be THE event of the quarter. For the last few weeks, everyone had been talking about it, and I'm sure a lot of that had to do with the fact that it would be right before finals really kicked in. It would be the perfect way to get together with friends and have some fun before we each became locked up doing our individual projects.
When my buddy and I first got there, it was slightly like walking into a different world. We knew from the guestlist online that a lot of our classmate's family would be there, but walking up the driveway into a crowd where everyone was looking at us with expressions as is thinking, "Who are these guys and what are they doing here?" was a bit disconcerting. Still, we proceeded right into the house like we knew we belonged there.
As we made our way into the kitchen to greet our hostess, I felt like I had been magically transported into the episode of Friends, where Chandler gets drunk and sleeps with one of Joey's sisters, but cannot remember which one the next day. The kitchen was filled with about 10 girls, each a brunette with long hair, wearing something sexy and heels. It was like I had walked into the kitchen of a mad scientist who had decided to make clones of the same girl. Lucky, two close friends (the sisters from this post) were there, so that was a plus. Eventually, even more schoolmates showed up, and then things really got interesting.
I decided to give the birthday girl a faux-lapdance, which was all fun and games until some random girl who was having a little too much fun (and by fun I mean alcohol) ran up to me and started grinding up on me like I was a fire needing to be put out. She pressed up against me with such force that I almost crushed the birthday girl behind me. Sadly, that was not the last of that girl, whom would come to be known as the Pink Shirt Girl, as she later decided to take off her shirt and dance around in her bra. There's always one at every party...
About halfway through the night, a friend and I decided to have a krump battle, and even convinced the birthday girl to join in. It was definitely the most epic krump battle ever, or at least that night. I'm kind of surprised Pink Shirt Girl didn't join in. Maybe she was passed out somewhere.
At the end of the night, a small group of us were hanging out in the other room, away from the music and dancing, and somehow got into the intricacies of how to the the Worm. I'm not sure how it started, but we realized that one friend could only do it going backward, I could only do it going forward, and another friend could only look like a fool trying to do it going forward or backward.
As is always the case, the party came to an end, and we were kindly asked to leave. After my buddy and I were in the car, along with the sisters and one of their boyfriends, I attempted to drive off only to be blocked by someone standing in the middle of the road. I don't remember seeing him at all during the party, but for some reason he decided he needed to block us. At first I simply thought he was joking around, and I attempted to drive around, but he took a few steps back and kept blocking us. When we rolled down the window and kindly asked if he could please move, he simply responded saying that no one was leaving. The boyfriend decided to step out of the car and have a few words with our would-be roadblock, and was soon followed by my buddy. The only thing I thought was, "Great. We're gonna have fight on our hands when we almost went the whole night hiccup free." Luckily, the boyfriend and my buddy were able to move our blockade without any confrontation, although it was difficult to get the boyfriend back into the car. He clearly wasn't done exchanging words with our oppressor, despite the three times I yelled for him to get back into the car.
Eventually, we got him into the car, and we were off. After one final hurdle when we went the wrong way on a street for about 10 minutes, we finally found the freeway and with that, ended the chapter of a great night. I definitely look forward to doing that again.
TBA
I just got home from an awesome party and I am a bit too tired to actually post a full entry. Really quick though, a lot of good friends from school were at the party and the night was a lot of fun over all. There was an expected bit of immature drama right as we were trying to leave, but I'll talk more about that later. So for now, I will simply say that tonight was a good night, and the perfect last hurrah before these last two weeks of school and the accompanying stress of finals. OK, goodnight everyone. I'm exhausted.
Oh, and don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour. It's that time of year again.
Oh, and don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour. It's that time of year again.
3.12.2010
The Importance of Time
Time really is a precious resource. When you think about, we don't have that much in our lives. Sure, it might seem like we do sometimes, but in the grand scheme of the universe, we really don't. From the moment we are born, we are running out of time. The scary thing is we don't even know how much time we have to begin with, but it's running down and there's no way to make more.
I'm telling you this to show each and every one of you reading this to take advantage of the little time we do of. Make the most of it, so that when it's all over, you can look back upon it and know you didn't squander it.
I wish I had remembered this earlier today, before I wasted 30 minutes of my life watching some ridiculous live stream online. Hopefully future streams will be more entertaining.
I'm telling you this to show each and every one of you reading this to take advantage of the little time we do of. Make the most of it, so that when it's all over, you can look back upon it and know you didn't squander it.
I wish I had remembered this earlier today, before I wasted 30 minutes of my life watching some ridiculous live stream online. Hopefully future streams will be more entertaining.
3.11.2010
A Letter to Lady Gaga, Part III
Dear Lady Gaga,
This will be the last letter I will write to you, because I've given up. After seeing your latest video for "Telephone", I have come to conclusion that you are just ridiculous. From now on, I will only listen to your music, and will try at all costs to avoid seeing anything with you in it: pictures, videos, etc.
As an entertainer, you're supposed to entertain. Simple enough, but all you do is cause my blood pressure to rise with your absurdity. I know you have your fans, (though only God knows why...) but I simply do not see the appeal. I'm all for being trendy, avant garde, larger than life, etc., but you've surpassed all that and simply become a caricature.
Farewell,
Jason Rico
Jason Rico
P.S. For those who would like to see her video, here it is:
3.10.2010
Laser Cat
There are many die hard fans of SNL out there, myself being one of them, but this guy has taken his love of Laser Cats way too far.
Add to that the fact that he has the 80s trifecta:
- Cheesy 80s outfit, including ugly sweater, pink shirt & over-sized glasses? Check.
- Rat tail hair style? Check.
- Futuristic laser background? Check.
The perfect recipe for awesome. Or awkward. Maybe both.
Add to that the fact that he has the 80s trifecta:
- Cheesy 80s outfit, including ugly sweater, pink shirt & over-sized glasses? Check.
- Rat tail hair style? Check.
- Futuristic laser background? Check.
The perfect recipe for awesome. Or awkward. Maybe both.
3.09.2010
Words
Why is it so hard for people to properly pronounce words? I'm not asking anybody to be a freakin' poet laureate, or win any spelling bees, but c'mon!
It's libRary, not libary. Notice that there are two Rs in there.
It's ask, not aks. Notice the order in which the S & K appear. You're not talking about weapons.
And my favorite: saying supposably instead of supposedly. Really?! That's not just forgetting a letter or mixing them around; you're totally switching out letters. You might as well just make up your own words; you're already halfway there.
It's libRary, not libary. Notice that there are two Rs in there.
It's ask, not aks. Notice the order in which the S & K appear. You're not talking about weapons.
And my favorite: saying supposably instead of supposedly. Really?! That's not just forgetting a letter or mixing them around; you're totally switching out letters. You might as well just make up your own words; you're already halfway there.
3.08.2010
I Need an Intervention
AAHHH!!! I'm freakin' addicted to Superhero City, some stupid game on Facebook!
Last Friday, one of the three local game studios to come visit my school was KlickNation, the makers of Superhero City. They talked about the whole genesis of the game, and how it was their cash cow. Well, later that day, one of my friends that was also at attended the event had not only already signed up, but also requested I join.
I thought to myself, "Sure, why not? It's free, and it might be fun to play when I have nothing else to do."
If only I knew then what I know now... I can't stop playing! First of all, there's the fact that it's a superhero game, which is already news for a comic book nerd like me. Add to that the fact that there are so many mindless little tasks to do, and the ability to do them refreshes after a short time frame, so I just wait until I can do them again.
This is EXACTLY why I don't play World of Warcraft, otherwise I really would have no social life. Oh man, I don't even want to think what will happen when DC Universe Online is released.
Enjoy your time with me while you still can, because the countdown to the end of Jason has already begun...
Last Friday, one of the three local game studios to come visit my school was KlickNation, the makers of Superhero City. They talked about the whole genesis of the game, and how it was their cash cow. Well, later that day, one of my friends that was also at attended the event had not only already signed up, but also requested I join.
I thought to myself, "Sure, why not? It's free, and it might be fun to play when I have nothing else to do."
If only I knew then what I know now... I can't stop playing! First of all, there's the fact that it's a superhero game, which is already news for a comic book nerd like me. Add to that the fact that there are so many mindless little tasks to do, and the ability to do them refreshes after a short time frame, so I just wait until I can do them again.
This is EXACTLY why I don't play World of Warcraft, otherwise I really would have no social life. Oh man, I don't even want to think what will happen when DC Universe Online is released.
Enjoy your time with me while you still can, because the countdown to the end of Jason has already begun...
3.07.2010
Followers
For those unfamiliar with the way Blogger.com works, each blogger has their own Dashboard; in essence, their homepage. From here, bloggers can make posts, edit past posts, follow other blogger's posts, and see who is following them.
For a while now, my dashboard has told me that eight people are following my blog. The fact that I have even one follower makes me happy, but of my eight followers, I only hear from maybe three on a semi-regular basis. There were a couple more that used to comment earlier on, but those have slowly died out. So, now it's down to three.
However, I've decided that I want to hear from as many of my followers as possible, as well any potential "ghost" followers that have not indicated that they follow my blog. I'll even make it simple for you all. Just comment and tell me about a memory you have of us. That's it. It can be anything you want; good, bad, ugly, whatever. You don't even have to tell me who you are. Just tell me the memory anonymously. And for any followers that don't have an actual memory with me, just tell me how you stumbled across my blog.
Simple as that. I want to see how many people actually read my blog, and I figure this is a fun way to do it.
For a while now, my dashboard has told me that eight people are following my blog. The fact that I have even one follower makes me happy, but of my eight followers, I only hear from maybe three on a semi-regular basis. There were a couple more that used to comment earlier on, but those have slowly died out. So, now it's down to three.
However, I've decided that I want to hear from as many of my followers as possible, as well any potential "ghost" followers that have not indicated that they follow my blog. I'll even make it simple for you all. Just comment and tell me about a memory you have of us. That's it. It can be anything you want; good, bad, ugly, whatever. You don't even have to tell me who you are. Just tell me the memory anonymously. And for any followers that don't have an actual memory with me, just tell me how you stumbled across my blog.
Simple as that. I want to see how many people actually read my blog, and I figure this is a fun way to do it.
3.06.2010
Happy Blogday to Me!
I can hardly believe it, but my little blog is one year old today.
Ah, it seems like just yesterday when I first started making the clickety-clicks on the keyboard and now here we are, still going and still growing. What started as a simple little blog with no direction has become an important outlet for me.
I never imagined my blog would've grown into what it is today, but I'm so glad it has. Happy Blogday to me! I expect lots of presents.
Ah, it seems like just yesterday when I first started making the clickety-clicks on the keyboard and now here we are, still going and still growing. What started as a simple little blog with no direction has become an important outlet for me.
I never imagined my blog would've grown into what it is today, but I'm so glad it has. Happy Blogday to me! I expect lots of presents.
3.05.2010
My Fear
Today, three local game studios came to visit and meet with students from the Media Arts & Animation and Game Art & Design programs. It was primarily a meet and greet, but we also had the chance to bring in our portfolios and have the studio representatives take a look. I initially wasn't going to bring any form of portfolio, as I don't think any of my schoolwork is up to portfolio standards, but I figured late last night it's better to bring something than nothing at all.
So, I was up all night working on throwing a simple portfolio together. At the end of my troubles, I have eight pages to show for it; none of which I'm truly happy with. Oh well. I'll be sure to get a respectable portfolio together for next time.
The three studios came and each gave a little presentation on who they are, what they do, and what they hope to do in the future. As all of the studios are in Sacramento, none of them are big at all. In fact, the largest company had 20 employees; the smallest had three. Still, they it nice to hear their stories of how they started, and even some of their past failures at launching a company. It gave me, and the other students, a good perspective on how hard our future career paths can be sometimes.
When it came time to show the studios our portfolios, I was very reluctant at first. I wasn't confident at all with what I brought, and to honest, I just thought it'd be a waste of time. However, my academic director convinced me that no matter how bad I might think it was, it'd be better to show them something than nothing at all. So, I sat down with all the students that had portfolios; lined up like prostitutes and a ranch, hoping a client will like what he sees.
It was at that moment that my fears of failure really came down on me. I saw what some of the other students had to show, and they were good. I was nowhere near their level of talent. I remember asking myself, "What am I doing here?" I've spent the last two years at school, but I don't think I'm anywhere close to where I need to be to make it out there in the "real world". What if I leave here, a year from now, and I can't make it anywhere? This isn't some pity party where I want everyone to tell me, "No, it'll be alright. You have talent. You'll make it." Blah blah blah...
No, I'm very much a realist. I know I have talents. I know that if I can just get to where I want to be, I'll be great. Unfortunately, no one is going to be able to see those talents unless I get my foot in the door, and that's what I'm worried about. I don't think I'll be able to get my foot in the door I want. I know I'll be able to do something, but I fear it won't be what I want.
In a sense, I see that as failure. Not doing what I set out to do, because I couldn't make it, is failure in my eyes, and that scares me. I still have a year to prove myself wrong, so here's hoping.
So, I was up all night working on throwing a simple portfolio together. At the end of my troubles, I have eight pages to show for it; none of which I'm truly happy with. Oh well. I'll be sure to get a respectable portfolio together for next time.
The three studios came and each gave a little presentation on who they are, what they do, and what they hope to do in the future. As all of the studios are in Sacramento, none of them are big at all. In fact, the largest company had 20 employees; the smallest had three. Still, they it nice to hear their stories of how they started, and even some of their past failures at launching a company. It gave me, and the other students, a good perspective on how hard our future career paths can be sometimes.
When it came time to show the studios our portfolios, I was very reluctant at first. I wasn't confident at all with what I brought, and to honest, I just thought it'd be a waste of time. However, my academic director convinced me that no matter how bad I might think it was, it'd be better to show them something than nothing at all. So, I sat down with all the students that had portfolios; lined up like prostitutes and a ranch, hoping a client will like what he sees.
It was at that moment that my fears of failure really came down on me. I saw what some of the other students had to show, and they were good. I was nowhere near their level of talent. I remember asking myself, "What am I doing here?" I've spent the last two years at school, but I don't think I'm anywhere close to where I need to be to make it out there in the "real world". What if I leave here, a year from now, and I can't make it anywhere? This isn't some pity party where I want everyone to tell me, "No, it'll be alright. You have talent. You'll make it." Blah blah blah...
No, I'm very much a realist. I know I have talents. I know that if I can just get to where I want to be, I'll be great. Unfortunately, no one is going to be able to see those talents unless I get my foot in the door, and that's what I'm worried about. I don't think I'll be able to get my foot in the door I want. I know I'll be able to do something, but I fear it won't be what I want.
In a sense, I see that as failure. Not doing what I set out to do, because I couldn't make it, is failure in my eyes, and that scares me. I still have a year to prove myself wrong, so here's hoping.
3.04.2010
Sexism and Gender Roles
Earlier tonight, I watched NBC's new show, The Marriage Ref. I first saw the show last Sunday - when NBC brilliantly decided to interrupt the Olympic's Closing Ceremony to premiere an early episode - and it was surprisingly entertaining. There's something very intriguing about watching other people's relationship problems. Tonight's episode introduced a couple where the wife thought her husband should automatically know how to build a patio simply because he's a man. Surprisingly, Eva Longoria, one of the celebrity panel members, agreed with the wife. The husband argued that was ridiculous and that his wife was being sexist. If she expected him to just be good at manual labor because he was a man, then he expected her to serve him whenever he demanded. After all, that has been the "traditional" role of a woman.
This really got me thinking whether "traditional" gender roles and assumptions are as prevalent today as they were in past generations. Personally, I view the “proper” relationships of men and women as understanding that each gender has certain strengths, and that only by coming together can society be truly effective. For example, men are viewed as being more logical, while women are viewed as being more compassionate. Therefore, coming together ensures that multiple outlooks are used, as opposed to just one. This is not to say that men are incapable of feeling compassion, or women incapable of being logical. Not at all. I simply believe men and women are pieces of a puzzle, and only by equally coming together can the picture be complete.
I was raised in a family where both my father and mother were strong presences. My father was more of a traditional Mexican male, and from him I learned strength. Not physical strength, but the strength to be confident, stand up for oneself, and succeed in life. He taught this lesson to my younger siblings, but I believe he placed emphasis on me learning this. He expected my sisters to be strong for themselves, but he expected me to be strong not only for myself, but also for my sisters, mother and future family. To him, men are the protectors.
My mother, although also Mexican, had the outlook of perhaps more of a modern American woman; but combined it with an understanding of our Mexican heritage. She also placed emphasis on me being a strong presence for my sisters and future family, but instilled in me the importance of treating the women in my life with the upmost respect. It is perhaps more so from her that I learned the relationship between a man and a woman should be an equal partnership. The one thing that both parents taught me is that no matter what views people may hold, it is up to me to buy into them or be myself.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I agree with the husband. He shouldn't magically know how to install a patio simply because he's a man. That's ridiculous. That's like saying I'm magically amazing at soccer, simply because I'm Mexican.
Ridiculous.
This really got me thinking whether "traditional" gender roles and assumptions are as prevalent today as they were in past generations. Personally, I view the “proper” relationships of men and women as understanding that each gender has certain strengths, and that only by coming together can society be truly effective. For example, men are viewed as being more logical, while women are viewed as being more compassionate. Therefore, coming together ensures that multiple outlooks are used, as opposed to just one. This is not to say that men are incapable of feeling compassion, or women incapable of being logical. Not at all. I simply believe men and women are pieces of a puzzle, and only by equally coming together can the picture be complete.
I was raised in a family where both my father and mother were strong presences. My father was more of a traditional Mexican male, and from him I learned strength. Not physical strength, but the strength to be confident, stand up for oneself, and succeed in life. He taught this lesson to my younger siblings, but I believe he placed emphasis on me learning this. He expected my sisters to be strong for themselves, but he expected me to be strong not only for myself, but also for my sisters, mother and future family. To him, men are the protectors.
My mother, although also Mexican, had the outlook of perhaps more of a modern American woman; but combined it with an understanding of our Mexican heritage. She also placed emphasis on me being a strong presence for my sisters and future family, but instilled in me the importance of treating the women in my life with the upmost respect. It is perhaps more so from her that I learned the relationship between a man and a woman should be an equal partnership. The one thing that both parents taught me is that no matter what views people may hold, it is up to me to buy into them or be myself.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I agree with the husband. He shouldn't magically know how to install a patio simply because he's a man. That's ridiculous. That's like saying I'm magically amazing at soccer, simply because I'm Mexican.
Ridiculous.
3.03.2010
Music Minute #12
Image from http://camillecookiedough.deviantart.comLooks like it is time for another Music Minute. Here are some of my favorite songs of the moment, and if you give them a listen, I'm sure some might become yours, too.
- Gorillaz feat. Bobby Womack & Mos Def - "Stylo"
- I Blame Coco feat. Robyn - "Caesar"
- Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"
- Little Boots - "Remedy"
- Marie-Mai - "Emmène-Moi"
- Gorillaz feat. Bobby Womack & Mos Def - "Stylo"
- I Blame Coco feat. Robyn - "Caesar"
- Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"
- Little Boots - "Remedy"
- Marie-Mai - "Emmène-Moi"
3.02.2010
A Letter to Lady Gaga, Part II
Dear Lady Gaga,
WTF?! What goes through your mind when you go out in public with a ridiculous getup like this? Look at those two guys next to you. I know exactly what's going through their minds: "Please don't let anyone I know see me next to this weirdo." It's clearly written all over their face.
Please, let someone get you some help, because I think you might have a screw or two loose. I'm worried about you.
Again,
Jason Rico
Jason Rico
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