Somewhat Daily Words

Surly Old Man

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 04:38:00 +0000

I've become surly with old age. My neighbors play their music too loud, so I yell at them. I stare at groups of young people walking in front of my house, poised to reprimand them for stepping on my lawn. I have a pension that I'm paying into, and I'm not afraid to tell anyone about it. So I'm becoming a surly old man.

And with age, comes introspection. Regrets, doubts, philosophical debates inside my head (and occasionally outside as well). A whole bunch of that stuff, for sure. It's as if I needed therapy at one point, and never really did it, so I just vomit out stuff when it comes to me and say "to heck with the circumstances -- I'm old. I don't care."

So today I'm at work, and I get a text message from my wife saying "I am in orientation with *insert name of guy I went to high school*'s wife."

After sending a joke, since he shares a name with someone famous, I followed with "Or is it that other guy I went to high school with? He was a douchebag."

And yes, he really WAS a douchebag. I'm using the term was, since I haven't seen or interacted with him in over 15 years. He could have found Jesus, for all I know, and that would be awesome. But all of my memories of him are tied into his douchebaggery from when we were kids.

Seriously, if Ed Hardy shirts existed in the early - mid-nineties, I'm pretty sure this guy would have had a closet full of them. Did I say he was a douchebag yet? I love that term. It's my favorite insult ever. I think I'll be using that when I'm REALLY old, when my grandkids have to Google it to find out what it is. And then they'll wonder why the senile old man is referring to people as feminine hygiene products. Ah, kids. They just don't get it sometimes.

Anyway, so my wife says this guys wife is pretty nice, and reassures me that yes, we all grow up, and change, so to knock off my insistence that he was a douchebag, and that even though his wife is nice, some girls dig jerks, I should give him the benefit of the doubt. And I will. I guess. If I have to.

But this got me to thinking. (introspection again) Would I be friends with the people I am friends with now, if I knew them in High School? I'm still the same person I was back then, perhaps with a little bit more confidence, a little more comfort in my skin (well, there's a lot more skin now, so I guess I needed to stretch out,) I have less hair and I'm a little more boisterous than I used to be.

Back then I was a longhaired kid who dressed grunge before it was cool, mostly out of necessity and not out of a desire to be hip. I spent most of my nights holed up in my bedroom and didn't do anything considered social, with church being the only exception. Heck, these days the only contact I have with people from high school that aren't my wife or related to me is limited to occasional Facebook postings.

But that's beside the point - some of my friends now were jocks in high school. Or had a lot of friends. Or were really good at math, or in a band. They can fix stuff. Stuff I never could do. So I wonder, if we were all placed back in high school, would they hang out with me? Would I want to hang out with them? Would I label them douchebags just for a few minor, yet scarring incidents in gym and the lunch room?

And that's the benefit of growing old. I can be as surly as I want, but I can still be all deep and philosophical. I'm sure Mr. I-Share-A-Name-With-Someone-Famous is probably a pretty decent guy with the same concerns and fears we all have as we head the short road to 40. Will I save enough money for my kids college? Will I have enough to retire on? Did I turn down the thermostat before I left the house?

And yet, I still can't help but call him the dreaded D-Word. Some people grow up. But I, I guess I grew...sideways.

Pressurized Creativity #1 - Macho Quest

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:28:00 +0000

A Prologue

Brevity is the soul of wit, right? At least, that's what Bill Shakespeare said. Since he's been dead for a few centuries, and a lot of old dead guys seem to know what they're talking about, or since we seem to take the words of old dead guys far more serious than old alive guys (I'm looking at you, Andy Griffith), I figured I would start my latest blog with something from an old dead guy. It really has no application to this particular post, but hey, it popped into my head, so I decided to write it down.

Anyway, things pop in my head on a regular basis. Moreso over the past few months, for reasons I can't quite nail down, but it might just be the fact that when I'm at work, the biggest challenge that I have creatively is figuring out what to eat for lunch. It may be that I haven't actually utilized all of my creative potential, or it could be that, not unlike a valve under pressure, if it begins to get TOO MUCH pressure, without being released once in a while, it begins to steam a bit, on the verge of explosion.

That could be a good thing or a bad thing, or the explosion creatively could just be a waste of what could be valuable stuff, sort of like the Deep Sea Horizon Oil Rig. An unmitigated disaster, by all accounts.

So this pressurized creativity has been leaking out lately, and I'm having a really hard time getting everything down, or even finding a direction for what ideas I do seem to remember. I figured that if anything, I can try to write them down here, and maybe revisit them if I have the time and resources to actually pull them off. Either way, at least they...GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!

Actual Post:

So this idea has been knocking around for a while, predominately as a goal for my own personal enlightenment, but now it's got the potential to be something creative and entertaining for all involved. The idea? A Macho Quest.

I've made it no secret that I grew up without a dad. Over the years, I've had men come into my lift and fulfill that role to an extent, but 18 years without someone to guide me in some of the Ways of Men can hardly be made up in a handful of years, no matter the depth of the relationship. There's just some things that need to be learned hands on, when the opportunities come up.

So anyway, there's a lot of macho things I don't know how to do, or don't know anything about.

A short list:

Home Repairs
Car Repairs
Sports
Hunting
How to Fight
And Much Much More.

So I came up with an idea - while I need to learn this stuff anyway, I thought it would make a great reality/educational show. Follow along as this dude who needs to learn what it takes to be a dude, learns what it takes to be a dude, from dudes who are experts on being a dude.

Seriously - how funny would it be, for a viewer especially, to watch as I learn how to change my own oil? Or if I learned how to box? Even better - the chance of electrocution as I change out ceiling fans in my house? There's a GOLDMINE of possibilities there.

Plus, I'm sure I'm not the only one who needs to learn some stuff about being a dude. Heck, there's a ton of stats out there that show I'm not the only dude who grew up without a dad. I can't be the only one who still has issues trying to figure out to, say, fix a sink drain. Viewership is a given, I'm sure.

Anyway, this is a personal quest - for sure, I'm learning this as I go. I just think it would make for great TV, since I have a tendency to be a clutz and I often find myself hilarious. The chance of me actually getting it on video though? Probably slim. I just think it's a good concept, that's why I wrote it down. Maybe someday....

Post #666 - The Posting of The Beast!

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Thu, 20 May 2010 23:31:00 +0000

I've officially written 666 posts on this ol' blog, in the past 8 years or so. That's insane.

I haven't posted anything in a long time, but here's an update on the Vizio thing:

They fixed my television.

It wasn't 24 hours after Consumerist posted my story before a representative from Vizio called me to "work something out" - ie - they were in damage control mode. Within a week or so, my television was repaired, and working fine in my office.

There was a lot of debate both here, and at the Consumerist site, regarding my intentions when posting my "open letter". The posts ranged from supportive and understanding, to outrageous and insulting. In order to clear things up, I'll say this, as the final word on my issue with Vizio.

My TV was barely 18 months and it broke. I was upset. I wrote a letter to customer service - the same letter that I posted on this blog - and received a response that read "Please call us so we can resolve this issue." When I called, I was told, and I quote "It's electronics, what do you expect.", and reminded that in order for Vizio to repair my television, I would have to shell out $200 - $300. Almost half the cost of the television.

And so, I went public. I wasn't about to pay that for a television to be fixed, and if I couldn't get them to stand behind their product, I wanted to serve as a cautionary tale for prospective buyers of Vizio televisions. I forwarded my letter to Consumerist with that intent in mind. I did nothing with the expectation of receiving something from Vizio - I'd been down that road and was shafted.

Did I get something from Vizio? Yes. I got my television fixed -- something that they should have done in the first place. Will I buy another Vizio product? Nope. Nada. Never. There's an old saying about fooling me once, and fooling me twice. And I'm no fool.

Thank you to Vizio for the repair. Thank you to the readers of the Consumerist that supported me. And to those of you who DIDN'T support me, God Bless.

An Open Letter to William Wang, CEO of Vizio TV

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:19:00 +0000

Dear Mr. Wang,

In June of 2008, my wife purchased a 32" Vizio Plasma television for me for Father's Day. Needless to say, I was very happy, having wanted to make the switch to HD and finally being able to do so. Our current television was over ten years old, so I was looking forward to a long relationship with this television and Vizio.

Around December of 2009, I noticed some odd behavior from the television. It would flash on, and then off, and then on again. As though it were like a car having trouble turning over to start in cold weather. The problem was annoying in the beginning, and worsened over the last few weeks. Until tonight, when it refused to turn on at all.

Once the holidays were over, I called technical support, to find out just what I could do to either fix the television myself, or what you could do to stand behind your product. The customer service agent, who was very polite, informed me that since my warranty had been expired, and that my wife hadn't purchased an extended warranty upon purchase, that it would cost me anywhere from $200 - $300 to repair what was determined, to be something involved with the power supply.

Since my wife paid only around $650 for the television, I was shocked that the repair bill would be anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of what we paid for it. I understand that electronics and their components aren't cheap, but still - given the way that prices on LCD's and Plasma televisions have dropped over the past 18 months, I could just as easily purchase a new television for just a little more than the cost to repair my old new one.

That being said, I'm very disappointed in your product, and your warranty policies. I look at televisions like other major appliances - something that will last a long time, and when it breaks down, it will be from old age. If your product can't withstand average use for 18 months, I don't believe that I can trust it to last for the time that most other appliances should, and given the financial investment involved, I'm sure you can understand my disappointment.

At this point, due to financial reasons, I am going to have to go back to my now 11 year old television and use that, until I can afford to purchase a new LCD TV, which, given my understandable disappointment with Vizio, will be another brand.

Thank you for your time.

Jeremy Zehr
Caledonia NY

UPDATE 2/10/10

Approximately 24 hours ago, a link to my blog was posted on The Consumerist. I had sent this to Ben Popken when I posted it, but had actually forgotten that I'd done so. Several anonymous commenters have lambasted me, claiming that I did this purely expecting something for nothing from Vizio -- which couldn't be further from the truth, but what can you do, the Internet is full of trolls who have nothing better to do than assume the worst.

However, I did just get off the phone with a Sabrina Van Gilder, who works in the Customer Service Department at Vizio. This entire situation has taken an unexpected turn, which I will keep you abreast of in the days to come.

Professionalism, at it's BEST!

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:29:00 +0000

So it's been about a year since I left my previous full-time job and became a stay at home dad. In that year, I've been able to do a little bit of freelance work, a good amount of pro bono work, and continue to seek freelance opportunities. But as it stands, at this time, I really don't have to look for a full time job. The money that I would make at any job, would most likely go to childcare, and the idea of investing money into someone else to invest in my children just doesn't make any sense to me.

(Just to clarify, Michelle and I aren't rich by any means, we're just trying to be frugal right now)

Needless to say, I am still searching for freelance opportunities, which led to me receiving this e-mail this morning:

HI Jeremy
Unfortunately you don't fit in with our (insert generic sounding marketing business name) Team! I was just testing you to see if you were a fit with our company when I said that I can't pay you at the beginning. Your response is why you don't have a job and your setting at home make nothing.

I'm sure you all want to know the back story, right?

Last Friday, I was trolling Craigslist, looking for gigs either in the video or graphic design business. Thus far, I haven't had much luck, but can't blame a guy for trying. I came across this ad:

Sounds pretty good, they have all of the necessary equipment, and will "pay by the job". Just the kind of opportunity that a guy like myself could use.

After an e-mail, and a phone conversation, it was determined that the best time for me to meet with him would be Tuesday, after he and his business partner announced the launch of their new business. He thought it would be a good opportunity for me to meet his business partners and get familiar with their product. (Little did I know that this was a classic move made by most multi-level marketing groups to get people in the door to muscle into buying into their latest "product", or as I like to call them, scams)

After consulting with a close friend (I had a little bit of a gut feeling that this may be a bad idea), I decided I would go to the meeting, not make any financial commitments (obviously) and see what kind of work they would need.

So I went to the meeting, spent an hour listening to a very good salesman tell myself and a hand full of others about a "great" opportunity. The gentleman I spoke with seemed fine with me not buying into the program, and that I was only there to provide graphic design and multimedia services. When the meeting was over, I spent the next two hours watching the two business partners go to work on the hard sell - pushing pretty much every other person in the room to pay their $50 and get in on the "ground level".

I just kind of stood in the corner, waited for the room to clear, and by noon, I was finally sitting down to discuss the graphic needs of my potential client.

He gave me a pretty good idea, but I had to get out of there. Michelle had to work, but I promised that I would contact him to discuss further what they needed.

So I waited a day, and e-mailed him this yesterday:

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday. I'm excited to be able to do the work that you need for you in a timely manner. I was going to give you a call yesterday afternoon, but I had some family things come up that required my attention, and once I could have called you, it was probably too late in the evening.

Anyway, a couple of questions before I get started:

1) I know you mentioned that you needed them as soon as possible, but would you like to set a hard deadline schedule up with me? I can probably get you a few comps by Friday (10/23), I'll give you the weekend to try to fine tune what you would want them to say or look like, and most likely, be able to finish them and get them sent to ******* by the middle of next week (10/28, 29), if things go smoothly.

2) Is this a contract job? Or is it a job that will require me to fill out the necessary forms for taxes and stuff? (ie W2's and stuff)

3) Speaking of taxes, did you have an idea for what your price range is for something like this? Business card design is typically a $100 - $125 charge, depending on the detail and amount of work required, on a contract basis. If you'd like to work with me on an hourly rate, the price may be negotiable. If this is a contract job, we'll have to agree contractually on a pay schedule, usually within 30 days of completion of work.

I look forward to working with you - let me know when you'd like me to get started.

Simple questions, professional enough, right?

And here comes the scary part....his response:

(in part) We will contract with you per job but for now your will have to do it very cheep! The first few jobs will have to be for Free so we can see if your work is acceptable to us and if we can work together. We can pay you a small fee at the beginning and then give more as time goes on. I can help you get better paying work from my clients like Bill as payment (commission) for doing our work. I always give compensation in some form for the work people do for me.
Give me a chance to prove my last statement. Let see some work from you and then I'll recommend you to all my clients.

Cheap? Free? I understand working cheap. I have no problem working cheap, but for FREE? In exchange for referrals? Is this guy nuts?

No, that wasn't my response, the answer to, what he referred to as a "test" was this:

Thank you for your response, but I don't believe that it will be wise for me to go any further with this.

I cannot do any work for free, and while it's nice to have referrals, I prefer them come from paying clients. I am leery of working with anyone who believes that referrals are an acceptable form of compensation, given that not every referral results in a paying client.

I've done my share of free or cheap jobs in the past, and will probably do more in the future, but only for clients that I have an established relationship with or for causes that I believe in - and at this point your company is neither.

I wish you all the best in the future.

Guess I failed his test. Although, I am curious, what would he have said if I said "okay, I'll work for free for now..."

I'm sure we all know what would have happened.

If you're a freelancer, be wary of who you deal with. Let them know up front what you expect as compensation. Don't allow them to pay you with pipe dreams, because you'll end up getting ripped off for your hours of hard work.

There are two other scary parts to this story:

1) This guy spent a lot of time referring to my faith, and the faith of others in the room, as though God had brought us all together somehow. Now that I think about it, it's a scary thing when someone preys on your belief system, hoping to use that as a weapon to pull you into working for them.

2) There was a young kid, fresh out of college, who was there to pursue the video aspect of their creative needs. I hope he has someone that can help him make the right decision professionally, and not waste his time with these scam artists.

If you're good at what you do, you should get paid for it. Working for free is for non-profits, and to an extent, friends. Some business people need to understand it.

But now, back to that e-mail - here's the response I would love to send:

My grandfather once told me, that if you pull a dogs tail, no matter how sweet they may be, you'll instantly discover their true nature. My unwillingness to work for free was the pulling of your tail, and your true nature was revealed to be that of an unprofessional bully.

The most amusing part of your response was when you took the parting shot about me sitting at home making no money. I liken it to when my son calls me mean, or poopyhead, if he doesn't get his way. To the person saying the insult, there's a perception of power. To the intended target, though, it only solicits laughter.

Thanks for the laugh.

But will I send it? No. I'll just post it on my blog for my friends to see.

The moral of the story? Be careful out there.

The 2996 Project - Remembering Carol M. Bouchard

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:36:00 +0000

For Project 2996

A little over 8 years ago, if you lived in the Warwick, Rhode Island area and had to go to the Emergency Room at Kent County Hospital, chances are, you may have been greeted by a smiling Carol Bouchard. I imagine Carol would, in a moment of your discomfort or great physical need, do her best to get you care as quickly as possible.

I imagine, also, Carol coming home at night, sharing a meal with her husband Fred. Laugh about something funny that may have happened that day, or quietly dream with him about plans for the coming months, or years. One of those plans she had was to go to Vegas with her friend, a decision that was difficult for her, given her fear of flying.

I imagine when she got on board American Airlines Flight 11 at Logan International Airport, that, despite her fears she was enjoying life, and looking forward to whatever the future might hold.

Unfortunately, after only an hour or so of being in the air, Carol, along with 75 other innocent people, were robbed of their chance to live out their dreams, and their plans, as their airplane was hijacked and driven into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, thus beginning a day filled with nightmares and grief.

To many, including myself (before today), Carol was just one face among a sea of faces in every 9/11 memorial tribute montage. But, to her husband, Fred, and to her other, many loved ones, Carol was someone who was stolen from them. A wife. A sister. A daughter. A friend. That smiling secretary who greeted so many at the desk of the Kent County Hospital ER, who brought comfort to those who needed it most, was gone, in the blink of an eye.

It's on this day that, instead of imagining Carol and what she did day to day, what she dreamed of and planned to do with her life, I honor her memory, by saying that she won't be forgotten.

Not today. Not every other day. Not Ever.

Hat tip: This site and This site.

One Down, A Few More to Go...

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:09:00 +0000

It's taken me over a year to finally get off of my behind and update my website. But now - it's here. Well, most of it. I have a few kinks to iron out, but I have it uploaded and working, and you can check it out here. I'll take any advice I can get, so fire away.

But there's a problem when I get a major project finished. There's a dozen more I have to get off the ground. Here are a few of them. A to do list, if you will.

1) Update my portfolio. There's one thing that designers and other artists have to do in order to maintain fresh - keep creating. I've been doing a bunch of things, mostly non-creative, but I really need to update my work portfolio - some new, versatile projects that showcase my skills. While putting my portfolio together, I noticed that I have a lot of solid poster design, so I'm going to have to focus on some layout and other design projects. Maybe I'll do a CD Cover design, and a magazine layout. They don't have to be real. They just have to be good. I also need to get some more web design under my belt. Which leads to my second item -

2) Learn CSS. I was talking with a designer friend about her website, which is stunning and makes me jealous and hate all of my work, but nonetheless, and she told me in order to use WordPress, I need to know CSS. So, at some point, I'm going to have to dive in.

3) Animation Reel. One of my goals as an artist is to develop a solid motion graphics reel. I have a few things, for it, but not enough yet. I have plenty of ideas, but now it comes down to finding the resources, and the time. Soon, I hope.

One of the things I'm wrestling with though, is should I specialize? Should I focus on just one aspect, get really good at it, and hope to get a lot of work doing just that particular area? Or should I continue to diversify my portfolio, hoping that my versatility will open several doors?

I'm not sure. Advice would be appreciated....

Becoming Resourceful

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:09:00 +0000

I celebrated 11 years of marriage to my wife, Michelle just a few weeks ago. We're trying to keep the budget tight, so this year we kept our anniversary celebration low key. I got a green screen (green fabric & a couple of floodlights - total spent - $30) and Michelle, she got the fruits of my first labor with that green screen - which you can see below.

I tried uploading this to YouTube, but thanks to some pesky copyright laws, they pulled the audio, so I deleted it. This copy is from my Facebook page. So, to clear things up - no, I didn't write or perform the song. I don't own it. It's owned by the Proclaimers. I don't make any money off of this website, or the content. Once I do, I'll pull this video.

Anyway, what I really wanted to do with this video is start building my online portfolio, complete with assorted multimedia products, showcasing my skills with Adobe After Effects, and Final Cut. Since I have a limited amount of work produced (since most of what I have is from school projects and very little freelance work), I really need to find a way to produce more.

So, while I was driving today, a thought occurred to me - What are my resources? What can I do with those resources to produce a handful of projects that can wow potential clients/employers?

Well, I have a green screen. And a Flip Mino HD camera. And I have my friends.

My friends?

Yes. My friends.

In college it was really easy to get help on projects, particularly video/film projects. If you helped someone, they would help you. Film Schools are great places to learn how to barter, as well as to multiply your skill set.

But now, as I'm older, and don't have any friends who are film students or filmmakers, finding help is difficult. Of course, that's because I didn't ask. So here I am - asking.

If there are any friends out there who want to stand in front of (or behind) a camera, and help me produce some work for my portfolio, you know where to contact me. No acting skills are required, and no prior experience as an art guinea pig is essential either.

I can't pay, of course, but I will offer you a copy of your work on DVD, and a meal. I may even barter doing work for you - whether it be mowing your lawn or walking your dog. Just one exception: I don't do toilets. Unless, of course, you really want to.

Interested? Let me know. Let's make some art together.

Updating my Web Site

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:35:00 +0000

So, for the past two years or so, my Web Site has looked like this:

Nothing special - and it didn't really offer much, other than a link to this blog, and a pdf copy of my portfolio (which is old and needs updating itself...)

Anyway, I've avoided the daunting task of updating my site because, well, I'm an idiot when it comes to web design. I've been intimidated by Word Press, which seems to be all the rage these days, and a novice with Flash, with very - VERY limited knowledge of Dreamweaver.

But I've been looking for a job and trying to drum up more freelance business, so I've come to the realization that the time has come for me to finally get my presence on the web at least up to code. (get it? Code? I kill me!), so I dove in yesterday, and I'm about 45% done. I won't be uploading it until it's completely finished, but here's a sneak peek:

Hopefully, if time (and coffee) allows, it will be up and running by Monday.

Feeling Accomplished.

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:26:00 +0000

I'm starting to learn a few things about myself.

1) I like being busy.
2) I work better under pressure from myself than pressure from others.

Lately, I've been picking up more work, most volunteer, but there has been some paying work here and there, and that's been nice. But with work being pretty sparse over the past few months, I've found myself getting pretty lethargic. But, when it does get busier, I seem to get a real boost out of the pressure of self imposed deadlines.

It's a nice feeling, to have a job, and to finish it in a timely fashion - and to be pleased by the result.

For instance, I've been helping out some friends of our family who are dealing with a devastating illness, as they have been developing and putting together a tribute slideshow for the man fighting said illness. Mostly I've been working on the audio side of things, but I was given the opportunity to flex my Photoshop skills this past weekend, and, I'm so proud of the results, I had to share them.

When your dealing with someone whose life has spanned decades, you no doubt come across photos that have seen better days. So, when asked if repair is possible without finding negatives and getting prints, I stepped right in, and was able to do some pretty easy, as well as some pretty difficult repairs to damaged prints.

All I have to say is, Thank God for the Clone Stamp Tool. And for Jim Downer's Photoshop class at MCC. It was an amazing asset for this task.

On the left of these photos are the pictures before, on the right, the after. (click to enlarge)

Now, obviously the second photo was a much more difficult task, and I'll admit, there's some mottling in areas of the photo that were unavoidable. HOWEVER - I'm still very proud of my work here. It feels nice to get something that, just 24 hours ago seemed daunting, finished.

In other news, I finished my first website design gig. And by finished, I mean, I finally got the site uploaded and live.

Click here to check it out. I admit, I used a template, but I did some tweaking to it (adding live buttons for audio was something new for me, and I was glad it worked), and I didn't do it for profit. I'm just hoping that there are some young drum students looking for a teacher in the Rochester Area. Bobby is a phenomenal percussionist, and a great teacher.

My biggest hurdle, past the design aspect, was figuring out what to upload and how. But I'm taking every job as a learning experience, and with this (and other projects) I've learned a lot. And I'm sure there's more to learn as time goes on. I have to remain open to that....

I've got a few other things in the hopper too, and I'm hoping to get more work as time progresses. We'll see where it takes me though. Regardless - I LOVE WORKING. I just need more work. :)

John Hughes - Bigger than Spielberg?

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:48:00 +0000

Call me naive, or blame it on the freshness of his death today, but I'm pretty sure at this point, that John Hughes had a bigger impact on popular culture and popular film than any director of the last thirty years - and yes, that includes Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas.

Don't get me wrong, both Uncle George and Stephen have done wonderful things for film, but just hear me out.

First of all, look at the resume of all three - George and Stephen have, together, produced a hand full of what I believe to be classic movies - The Star Wars Trilogy, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Schindlers List, and Saving Private Ryan - to name a few. And while I don't diminish their impact on popular culture (Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Jaws, mostly) or their impact on the art of film (Schindlers, Private Ryan), I still don't see their overall mark on the popular culture of movies and life to be as massive of that of John Hughes.

Look at his resume:

Mr. Mom - changed the way America looked at the traditional family structure, and it's even helped make what guys like me do more acceptable.

National Lampoons Vacation (The whole series) - Who hasn't referred to their vacation as Griswoldesque, at least once? Christmas Vacation, at least in my home, is required viewing during the holidays. And, anyone who has ever been to England, I'm sure, has probably pointed to Big Ben, Parliament, in the same way Clark Griswold did.

Ferris Buellers Day Off - My cousin Mike made it a tradition to watch this movie every time he returned home from college. Now, I'm not as BIG a fan of this movie as he was and is, but there's no doubt that this is a classic. I know I've even called out Bueller....Bueller, a couple of times in my head during roll call while in school.

Sixteen Candles - When even my wife, who isn't nearly as immersed in pop culture as I am, can quote a movie, I have to give it props for the impact it has made overall. Dong!!!

Pretty in Pink - Another great teen flick, set the bar for the rest of the teen movies that would follow. Plus, who doesn't like the Psychedelic Furs theme song?

The Breakfast Club - my all time fave - What appears as a simple teen comedy is actually a deep examination of teen culture that spans the generations - yesterdays criminal is today's misunderstood thug. Yesterdays Prom Princess is the same as Today's Prom Princess. I could go on and on, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in the Western World that doesn't relate to one of the rich characters in this movie.

There's more - Planes, Trains Automobiles, Weird Science, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck, even Home Alone. All of these are movies that anyone can relate too, and has related to over the years. And that's where I think Hughes impact is the largest; While stuff like Star Wars reaches an esoteric audience (albeit, a LARGE esoteric audience...)the movies of John Hughes are relatable to anyone who has ever been a teenager, or a twentysomething, or a married guy trying to relate to his in-laws.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Hughes. Thank you for everything.

Father/Son Bonding

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:23:00 +0000

I was a Cub Scout for a couple of months as a kid. I'm not exactly sure how old I was, but I remember that I didn't continue on the path of Scouting due to the lack of men involved in our troop. My mom wanted me to join Scouts because I didn't have a strong male influence around, and she figured I'd found it in the Scout program. Instead, she found that the leaders of our local troop were all women, and pulled me out after a while.

I don't remember if I liked it, I was always a shy, awkward kid, and never quite gelled with most macho stuff, like camping and the outdoors. I was far more comfortable with my books and my drawings. Come to think of it, that might have been the other major reason my mom put me in Scouts -- she could have been afraid I would never be very masculine.

But that's beside the point.

Being a home school family now, Michelle and I wanted to do as much as we could for Josiah to get interaction with kids his age, and to offer alternative adult interaction other than dear old mom and dad once in a while. We'd tossed around the idea before, so last year we took the plunge and got Josiah involved in a brand new Wolf Den starting in town.

(For those NOT involved in Scouting, the Wolf rank is the second level of Scouting, just after Tiger. Tiger is in First Grade, and Wolf is Second Grade. Bear is Third, and for Fourth and Fifth Grade, Boys are Webelos - the rank just before crossing over to full fledged Boy Scouts)

The first year was rough, I wasn't motivated to help Josiah get through his achievements, rushed him through some things, but nonetheless, he did enough to earn his Wolf Badge and Cross over to Bear. He liked it enough to continue the following year, and we even signed him up to go to Cub Scout Camp (with me tagging along) this summer, right at the end of our vacation to Washington DC.

The weekend came and went, and I'm still reeling from how much I didn't know, and how much I came to really LOVE the Scout program. My entire goal this past weekend was for Josiah to have an absolute BLAST, and I'm pretty sure that was accomplished, despite some muddy paths and a rainy night in the tent.

It was a blessing just to spend some one on one time with Josiah without interruption, discovering just how much he's grown, how much he's growing, and discovering where he thrives, and where he falters. I discovered this weekend that, if I want excellence from him, he expects it from me as well. I also discovered, that, more can be accomplished with a gentle exhortation than an angry shout.

My proud father moment? Well, my favorite one? It happened at the BB-Gun range.

The groups each had a one hour session, both days of camp, to shoot at the range, but unfortunately, on our first day, only half of the Scouts in our group got to shoot. Josiah was in that group. After a little bit of wrangling on the second day, I made sure that he got to shoot in the first group, and he shot an 18 out of 50 (with one bullseye). Not amazing, but it WAS his first time holding and firing a BB-Gun, so the bullseye was impressive enough. Regardless of anything else that could have happened, I was pretty proud of that Bullseye.

Since the majority of the boys in our group qualified for their Junior USA Shooting Team Badge on the day before, with a score of at least 35/50, Pete, the Shooting Range instructor, kept Josiah on the range for a second go around, and I sat back, holding my breath. I already told him I was proud of him, and just to "Do His Best" (Cub Scout Motto), but I was hoping he would really find his zone this time.

His first shot was a 9, just to the bottom and right of the Bullseye. Not too shabby.

Second Shot was a 7 - it was low, but not too bad.

Third Shot? Another Bullseye! His score was now 26. All he needed was a 9, and he'd qualify for a badge.

His fourth shot was another 9!! Just above and to the right of the first. Not a bad grouping, between the Bullseye and Two 9's. He was really beginning to get his sighting down.

The rest of the adults in the group were cheering him on at this point. I was smiling, trying not to cry tears of joy. He'd qualified, but Pete leaned over and told me "Don't tell him that, let's see how high he can go now."

His fifth shot was on the line between the 8 and 9, which counted as a 9, so his final score ended up being 44/50. 9 points over the required number for the badge. I wanted to pick him up and hug him. But I didn't, I just patted him on the head, squeezed his shoulder and told him he was Awesome. Because he is.

I don't know if this is really the case, but I think Josiah being in Scouts is as much for me, as it is for him. Had we not enrolled him, we wouldn't get to experience the things that he can in the Scout program, and even though I've always been proud of him, the fact that I said it in front of others, acknowledged his achievement with my approval and my pride, is something that he'll take with him for the rest of his life.

So yeah, Scouting is Awesome. I'm really excited for where this year takes him - on the path of the Bear.

(Interesting Side Note - We've been calling Josiah "Bear" since he was in the womb, so this will be a special year for us, I think...)

New Video: Brothers at Play

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:57:00 +0000

On Father's Day we went for a walk around town, and ended up at the park. We had the playground pretty much to ourselves, so I decided just to turn the camera on and observe my kids playing together.

They get along SO well. My prayer is, that as they get older, this continues. No sibling rivalries - PLEASE.

(On a technical note, if you'd like to watch this in HD, just double click it to watch it in YouTube.)

It's over.

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:36:00 +0000

It's officially over.

I can't wear a baseball cap the right way at this point in my life, because, I've reached that critical time as a fat guy where, I just don't look right with my baseball cap facing forward. There were times when I could just barely get away with it, and now, well, those times are over.

Consider, exhibit A - a picture of yours truly wearing my beloved Red Sox cap forward.

The curve of the bill is worn in pretty good, but unfortunately, my face is too wide for it to be completely shaded, therefore eliminating the purpose of the bill. It was only a matter of time before this happened, of course, since I already had a large head, but when you add the third and fourth chins, the point of no return has been crossed.

Now I'm forced to wear my hat backwards, like some college frat tool, who's had far too many drinks and tries to start a mosh pit at a They Might Be Giants Concert.

They're the same kind of guys who, on a night out, think a popped collar is a guarantee that they'll be a magnet for the ladies. Since I'm neither of those guys, I guess I'll just grin and bear it, accept my new station in life as a fat guy with a backwards cap.

Because we all know I can't go around hatless. Look at this, Exhibit B - My forehead is gargantuan.

I swear, when the hair on top finally does go the way of the buffalo, I'll have to avoid being near airports, should planes try to land on my head. That would suck.

The Exhibitionist in Me...

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:45:00 +0000

An explanation....

So I tried this project, starting a year and a half ago called Project 30. The goal, at the time, was to vlog every day or so during my 30th year on Planet Earth. It lasted for 15 videos over around 7 months. Not exactly a good track record, when you think about it.

This may seem like a minor thing, but it's a pattern for me - I'm a great starter, a visionary, but I'm a horrible finisher. It boils down to a couple of reasons, lack of discipline, poor planning, and, well, low self confidence (probably due to the extreme lack of feedback).

So now I'm pondering trying something new, something different, and actually finishing this time.

I don't have a title for it just yet, but I'm looking at a tentative start date of 6-3-9, since there's a kind of cool mathematical twist to the start date (6+3=9) and finish date (6+4=10), so I'm open to suggestions for that. But I am formulating a plan of sorts, something that will benefit me in a couple of ways, and here's the basic framework:

3 Videos per week, Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, starting Wednesday June 3, 2009 and ending Friday, June 4, 2010, a total of 156 videos in a year. (I'd even say I could do a total of 4 minutes per video and get 639 minutes of video in a year too, but I'll still think about that.)

Each Day of the Week would have a purpose, or a theme. This would serve to keep some sort of schedule, but also give me a well from which to draw for ideas. Right now I'm thinking of this tentative schedule:

Mondays - "New Joke Day", where I'd reveal a new joke I'm working on for what I hope to be a full stand-up set.

Wednesdays - well, they're still up in the air, so I need suggestions - I'm considering this to be a "vlog day", but well, we all know how well vlogging has gone for me. This could also be a "sketch" day once in a while. Or, heck, I can call it "Wild Card Wednesday".

Fridays - Animation Fridays. As an artist, I really need to pad my portfolio a bit more, particularly in the realm of animation and motion graphics. Right now my goal would be a new animation per month, with each Friday being a "WIP" (Work in Progress) Day, with the last Friday being the deadline for the final animation. This should give me 12 new pieces for my portfolio, at the end of the year.

Now, I will have a few scheduling conflicts, that I can already forsee - vacation in the mountains (no web access, etc), so I'll have to do a workaround for that, among other things. But, like I said, this is a framework for what I want to do, and should have plans for it before I begin June 3rd. All I ask for at this point is feedback, ideas, concerns and encouragement (or discouragement?) from you, the masses.

Have at it - I'm all eyes.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:09:00 +0000

I am rarely compelled to write reviews of movies these days, but I just had to mention quickly, that The Devil and Daniel Johnston is most likely, the greatest documentary film I've ever seen. I felt every possible emotion while watching this movie, laughter, tears - everything. If you like music, art, or are interested in the struggles that bi-polar patients and their families experience, get this movie. I think I need to own it, so give me a little while and you can borrow it from me.

So this isn't much of a review, more like a sales pitch. I loved this movie. LOVED IT.

And that is all.

Snippets Too Big For Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:30:00 +0000

Been busy with a lot of stuff - including but not limited to a job search, volunteer design /motion graphics, barter design, and paid design work - and did I mention I'm a stay at home home schooling dad? Yeah, I'm swamped.

I've made the conscious decision to not feel overwhelmed - in fact, I downright refuse to feel that way. I'd rather be busy, juggling a bunch of stuff at once than not have anything to do at all.

So anyway, I'm busy, but I've been using Twitter almost constantly since I downloaded the Twhirl app, which is basically a combination of live e-mail, instant messenger and Twitter rolled into one. I love it for this very reason. It's almost replaced the idea of blogging for me, but some things I just can't fit into a 140 character limit.

So here's a few snippets of things that I would have "tweeted" but didn't have the ability to edit it down.

After about 13 to 14 years, I've immersed myself back into the Star Wars Expanded Universe. I've tried to get into the books in years past, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it - the EU had become to large, to unwieldy, that it was impossible to keep up with it all. But after the cruelest April Fools Joke I've read in years, I decided to give it a try, starting with the New Jedi Order series. Mostly out of convenience, since I was able to pick up almost the entire run at the local Goodwill, except for the first and the last few books.

So I'm waist deep into Vector Prime, the first book in the series, and really enjoying it. The same old characters are there, and it's written in such a way that I almost feel like I'm watching a Star Wars movie, and that's what made me love the EU in the first place. Of course, Vector Prime is written by RA Salvatore, so that helps - here's hoping the rest of the series is just as good.

The weather is starting to get nice every day, so while I was driving around with the windows down, I surfed over to the sixties channel on Sirius, hoping to catch a Beach Boys tune, but nothing. I got a few good songs, but nothing that captured that "summer" feeling that the Beach Boys seem to capture so well.

Well, lo and behold, a few days later, I was on Twhirl, and Derek Webb tweeted that you could get Pet Sounds for only 2 bucks on Amazon. It didn't take me long to jump over and pick that up and have "Wouldn't it Be Nice" stuck in my head.

While I like Pet Sounds well enough, I took it upon myself to surf over to Pandora and create a Beach Boys station, that not only plays the Beach Boys, but Elvis, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Mamas & The Papas, among others. Feels like summer when I hear tunes like that.

If you'll notice, at the top of the page is an ad - I've monetized my blog. So, what little pittance I may get from AdSense would be cool, so if you can, click it for me please. :)

Now I Think I Want Them Back...

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:04:00 +0000

When I was in elementary school, one of my favorite sections of the playground was the Merry Go Round. I don't think they have them on a lot of the more sanitized plastic playgrounds of this modern era of safety, but back then, it was considered alright to let kids spin themselves dizzy during recess.

So we'd do everything we could to get this galvanized disc to spin as fast as we could get it, and then jump off, resulting in us stumbling in every direction possible. Funny how some of us probably went on to do this less than twenty years later, but getting the same effect using alcohol. But I digress.

The last two months I've been spinning on a merry go round, but I didn't realize it until I jumped off. Because now I'm stumbling all over, trying to figure out what direction I need to go in, and feeling a bit sick.

Sorry if I'm being cryptic, but that's what you get when you read the blog of someone who has trust issues and finds it hard being content.

I love this cover of this song and while I haven't broken up with anyone, I find the line "I had a pocket full of dreams/but I gave them all to you/Now I think I want them back" quite appropriate for my current situation. Am I crazy or confused? Or just an oversensitive 31 year old?

Yep, even guys 15 years out of high school can get emo once in a while. And it still sucks.

Personality...

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:30:00 +0000

So I had a job interview yesterday. What was the job? Well, that doesn't matter right now, but let's just say that if I get it it will be God ordained, and if I don't, it will be God ordained as well. I'm fine with either solution, really.

But anyway, during the interview I was asked if I'd ever taken a personality exam, to determine, well, my personality. I wasn't sure if I had or not, but figured that it would be cool to know that sort of thing. So today I get a call, and I will be receiving a personality test in my e-mail, courtesy of my pending employer. Awesome.

But I'm an impatient guy, so I did a quick Google Search for Winslow Personality Test, and took the first one that came up in the search. It took only about ten minutes for me to discover that I am personality type ESFJ (Extroverted Sensing Feeling Judging), or as another site puts it a Guardian Provider. I'm pretty sure there are probably some flaws in the system, but that seems like a pretty accurate description, if not completely spot on.

I particularly liked this paragraph:

As caretakers, ESFJs sense danger all around--germs within, the elements without, unscrupulous malefactors, insidious character flaws. The world is a dangerous place, not to be trusted. Not that the ESFJ is paranoid; 'hyper-vigilant' would be more precise. And thus they serve excellently as protectors, outstanding in fields such as medical care and elementary education.

It just me, or does that sound like folks like me have a little bit of OCD? That cuts deep.

ESFJs are easily wounded. And when wounded, their emotions will not be contained.

I'm going to go cry now.

Just kidding.

While I was on the kick of taking personality quizzes, I also took a Watchmen Personality Test, and this is disturbing --

Your result for The Watchmen Personality Type Test...

Rorschach

You scored 82% Moral Imperatives and 49% Attitude!

You are extremely moral absolutist.

While you unwaveringly follow a strict moral code, you often fail to demonstrate the empathy needed to make a moral decision. You find institutional forms of order unsatisfactory and oppressive and believe that your uncompromisng standpoint somehow exempts you from accusations of wrong-doing.

While some might respect your individual and steadfast perspective, be prepared for the possibility that the practical majority might find your black and white moral code unnacceptable.

Take The Watchmen Personality Type Test at HelloQuizzy

I think it was the questions about bullying that did me in....

Twitter Thoughts on U2's No Line on the Horizon

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:37:00 +0000

Since most of you have lives, and couldn't follow my thoughts in real time as I listened to No Line on the Horizon through my Twitter Feed, I took the time to compile them here. If you have yet to buy the album, and aren't a purist like me (i.e. don't care about CD design, liner notes, tangible evidence of album ownership...) you can pick it up for a mere $3.99 over at Amazon - a steal if you ask me. Not sure how long that sale will last, but go for it if you're so inclined.

Also included will be all of the replies (and my responses) that I got from my friend Ben Avery, who is a big (probably bigger than me) fan of the boys from Dublin. Keep in mind, at the point I was writing these thoughts down, I had only heard two cuts from the album, since Get on Your Boots was released weeks ago, and they played Breathe on Letterman Monday night. So basically, these are initial thoughts that are subject to change on repeat listening.

#U2 - listening to No Line on the Horizon for the first time. Thoughts to follow, track by track, if I can listen in one sitting.

# #u2 - No Line on the Horizon - title track - seems to remind me of Zooropa more than anything else.

# #u2 - it's got a very ethereal feel to it, much like Zooropa. Edge's guitar work is astonishing, as usual. 4/5.

# #u2 - Magnificent - shades of Joshua Tree in there, but it's very Achtung Baby in it's approach. Also has the feel of Yahweh from HTDaAB.

# #u2 - Magnificent may be the first one I'll want to put on repeat and sing along to. Beautiful song, not surprising.

# #u2 - not to mention, it's got the spiritual feel of other heavily Christian influenced U2 – 5/5

# #u2 - Moment of Surrender - Some of Bono's best vocals, IMO - he shows off his register in this song, for sure.

# #u2 - it's got elements of U2's spiritual side, for sure - soulful, when Bono and the Edge start to sing together, it sounds very choiresque.

# #u2 - the music itself is very experimental, something that U2 does astoundingly well. Reminds me a little bit of Miss Sarajevo. 4/5

# #u2 - Unknown Caller - starts off strong, Edge brings the digital delay back in full force, but I found myself getting drowsy.

# #u2 - don't get me wrong, it's still a beautiful tune, but not as "rocking" as I would hope. It'll probably grow on me.

# #u2 - but, as of first listen, I have to give it the weakest grade of all of them so far – 2/5

# #u2 - I'll Go Crazy...I'm not going to put the long title in my Twitter.

# #u2 - I like this one. It's got a nice melody, and a normal hook. Not as experimental.

# #u2 - but, I have to admit, the "gang vocal" thing is getting a little tired after a couple of songs.

# I like when Bono and The Edge harmonize, but I'm not digging the yelling with each other, it's...meh. I still dig the song though - 3/5

# #u2 - Get on Your Boots - I honestly wasn't impressed with this on first listen.

#u2 - but to be honest - I kind of like it now. Reminds me of Jacob's Trouble's LovingKindness, which was on their self titled album.

#u2 - which is cool, because JT's self titled album was their Achtung Baby.

whisperingloon@jszehr interested to se your thoughts on Cedar and White as Snow

jszehr@whisperingloon I'll get to those soon - they're in a few tracks. :)

#u2 - So, after originally being unimpressed, I think I'll give Get on Your Boots a 4/5

#u2 - Stand Up Comedy - This has a very sixties vibe to it. Maybe the Beatles, but there's something else that I can't quite place.

#u2 - Yeah - it's the Beatles I think. Sgt. Pepper Beatles, but with a modern groove.

whisperingloon@jszehr There's at least three songs that sound feel like they digitally sampled the spirit of the Beatles

#u2 - Dare I say it - is Bono rapping a bit on this song? He's not singing the verses - it's got a G-Love rap vibe going for it.

#u2 - also digging The Edge's guitar work, and the effects are perfect.

#u2 - One of the things I appreciate about U2's more experimental music is that the effects are well layered and not overpowering.

#u2 - This is my second favorite song on the album – 5/5

#u2 - FEZ - Being Born - interesting title.

#u2 -it's starting off very bizarre, like a cut off of the Beatles White Album. Let's hope Bono didn't hook up with Yoko Ono or something.

whisperingloon@jszehr i love the beginning of Fez -- and where the album goes from there

#u2 - Definitely can sense the Brian Eno influence in this track. Sparse lyrics, music is dense yet simple. Liking Bono's vocals on this.

#u2 - Very Miss Sarajevo. All it's missing is Pavarotti, and unless they dug him up or kept a secret recording of him, I doubt he'll show.

whisperingloon@jszehr Passengers is a favorite of mine -- I compared this to that album last night

jszehr@whisperingloon can you believe I don't own Passengers? I would totally dig it, I'm sure, since Zooropa is my second favorite U2 disc.

#u2 - Maybe could get that blind guy to fill in - Andrea Bocelli?

whisperingloon@jszehr RT #u2 - Maybe could get ... Andrea Bocelli? Have you heard the version of Miss Sara where Bono does the opera?

jszehr@whisperingloon yes - I heard them do it live when I went to see them on the HTDaAB tour in Buffalo. BEAUTIFUL.

#u2 - Not a very sing along song, but FEZ is absolutely beautiful. 5/5

#u2 - White as Snow - Has the feel of an old hymn - like Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel. Love the simplicity of the open. Gives me chills.

#u2 - a very dreamy tune. Bone chillingly beautiful. 5/5, yet again.

#u2 - could the "B-Side" of this disc be better than the "A-Side"?

#U2 - Breathe - They did this song last night. I LOVED IT THEN.

#u2 - I love it even more now. Very Beatles-esque.

#u2 - I absolutely love the music to this. The lyrics and vocals take a backseat for me. The Edge is at the top of his game.

#u2 - Brian Eno is an amazing influence on u2 - I've heard there was talk of him being the 5th Member at one point, and I wouldn't mind.

whisperingloon@jszehr Brian Eno WAS the fifth member

jszehr@whisperingloon Yes - but never "officially". :)

#u2 - Definitely a 5/5. Awesome tune, and I'll probably want to sing along at some point.

#u2 - Cedars of Lebanon - Traditionally the last cut on a u2 album is the dreamiest, most experimental.

#u2 - definitely continuing that tradition. And continuing Bono's crusade for peace in the Middle East.

#u2 - They've never been afraid to politicize their music, and while most celebrity causes grate my nerves, I don't mind when Bono does it.

#u2 - it's probably because I can tell he's legit - he doesn't grab onto political causes because they're "hip" - and that's cool.

#u2 - and I really like Cedars. It's not as good as, say, Yahweh, but good nonetheless – 4/5

whisperingloon@jszehr do you have the deluxe version, w/ the remixes?

jszehr@whisperingloon of NLotH? I got the standard version from Wal*Mart. No Remixes for me.

whisperingloon@jszehr the Get on Your Boot remix is better than the actual song . .

jszehr@whisperingloon Not surprising. I actually kind of dug Get on Your Boots, without the video, which seemed over the top and self indulgent.

#u2 - Final Grade for NLotH? 46/55, or an 84% - which works out to a B. It's not the strongest effort by my favorite band...

#u2 - but it has a lot of strong tunes. The B-Side could have been it's own record - the songs fit together nicely

#u2 but as @whisperingloon says, bad U2 is better than most music, and I'm inclined to agree.

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:32:00 +0000

Even @ 1 year old, my son can set the clock on the VCR.

Adventures in home wiring....

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:20:00 +0000

I'm currently hatching a scheme involving lots of coax cable, a digital converter box and a VCR, with a possible trip to Radio Shack.

I'm sure the obvious response to this "Status Update" is probably "why?", so I figured I'd expound on it a little bit.

A year and a half ago, Michelle and I decided to sign up for the Dish Network. I hadn't had cable or access to it on a regular basis since high school, and, they were offering a fairly decent deal that finally broke through my resistance. We haven't had any terrible experiences with them at all, but we figured now was as good a time as any (since our contract was up) to cancel and live a cable free life again, at least for a while.

But it's presented a bit of a quandary for us.

Last June, Michelle surprised me with an AMAZING makeover of my office, (and a large screen TV for the living room), and as part of that, she moved the VCR into their, along with the old TV. This has been a fine arrangement, since the majority (okay, all) of our television recording has been relegated to the DVR. But, with the DVR going the way of the Dish Network, we're still going to want to record a few shows that we miss due to work and other prior engagements - so what do we do?

We can record shows on the VCR and watch them in the office, but where's the fun in that? I could move the VCR into the living room, but I kind of like the lack of clutter in the entertainment center. So, what do we do?

It wasn't until the other night that I came up with, I hope, a suitable solution.

Thanks to the Dish Network, we have coaxial cable running through the basement, going from the living room, into the office. My hope is to hook up a splitter to the VCR, so that both televisions can receive the signal from the VCR when we want to watch a recorded program. With a signal splitter in place already, we won't even have to worry about interference on the TV in the living room when the VCR is recording in the office, so it will be a win/win.

If it works.

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:03:00 +0000

What - winter isn't gone yet? DANGIT!

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:08:00 +0000

4 years of paperwork. 5 overheating instances with the shredder. 1 Huge bag of confetti. I'd say thats an accomplishment...

Knife, Fork, Elephant

noreply@blogger.com (jeremy) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:44:00 +0000

We're a week into the New Year, and I have yet to make any headway on any of the goals that I've tried to set for myself. I've never been one for resolutions, since I lack the discipline required to actually keep them, but I did want to start of this year with some sort of game plan. Yet, here I am, on the eighth day of the year, and I haven't even written down a list of goals, let alone start on the trail to reaching them.

I hate talking goals. I hate discussing plans. The rational side of me wants to say that it's mostly because of my laziness, another part of me says it's fear of success, but I think, when you get down to brass tacks (who came up with that saying anyway? And what the heck does it mean?), it's probably because I'm so paralyzed by a fear of failure, that I let little excuses like laziness, or being busy, become crutches. I have so much that I want to do, then why can't I just pull the trigger and get them done? I'm not sure.

I won't bore you with my goal list. At least not yet. I guess I'm just looking to my couple of readers for ideas. How do you achieve your goals? How do you keep each plate spinning? How do you avoid getting stressed out?

There's an old saying that goes like this:

Q. How do you eat an elephant?
A. One bite at a time.

Would you like to help me find my knife and fork? It's gonna be a long year without 'em.