The wedding invites went out. We now have the date, the venue, the caterer, the menu, the cake (actually Apple Cobbler), the photographers, the music, the DJ, the Officiant, the hotel for the guests, the engagement ring, the wedding rings are being made now, the signs for the event, the guestbook, the address labels (for both before AND after we are married!), the rehearsal dinner location and menu, the wedding web site, the gift registry, the florist, the wedding dress, the groom's outfit is being designed and made now, and... And it's still 4 months away. But my fianceƩ couldn't be more freaked out, and believes we are way behind schedule. Pubski, I shall require daily doses of fine whisky, every day, until July 9th. I'm relying on you, Pubski. Help me through this.
Oh that makes me nervous... My wedding is two weeks before yours and we have about half that done. It feels like about a minute after we make a decision each of our mothers has four more conflicting ideas about it. It's not that bad, but stressful.
This is why I want to eventually elope. Just book a week at some cabin in the mountains, elope, and spend a week away from people. That way I can avoid the stress and I figure I'll have a party when I get back that my relatives can put their input into.
Elopeing is catching on in the younger crowd who don't want to spend insane amounts of money on weddings anymore. A lot of people don't even get married before really starting their lives together which my grandmother is having a very hard time coming to terms with. It just doesn't make sense to throw a huge expensive into the situation when you are likely buying a house, wanting to start a family and paying off school loans. Elopeing and throwing a simple party is the perfect compromise really.
My fiancee and I are 47, and met 7 years ago. We have all the things we want - a house, cars, toasters, remodeled kitchen, etc - and we aren't going to have kids. So this wedding is kinda our last big "celebration of us". It's definitely not going to be like other weddings, but it will be true to us, our style, and our needs.
I laughed when I read this, but with you, not at you. Moms are the world's biggest pain in the ass when it comes to weddings. Maybe sisters-in-law could give them a run for their money. I think the problem is that each mother's own mother ruined her wedding by being a pain in the ass, so now they have to have the wedding they never had vicariously through you. Speaking from experience it's better to have the I-appreciate-your-opinion-but-mainly-please-shut-the-fuck-up-until-otherwise-informed talk early. You'll hurt their feelings somewhat now, but save them a lot more in the future.
So, as part of my main research project, we expected some kids/people (Mainly kids) to start feeling somewhat better after taking the drug I'm studying. It's one thing to know that academically, and another thing entirely to witness it in person. I was speaking with one of my younger adolescent patients yesterday about his symptoms, drug compliance, etc, and he actually had to struggle to remember the last time he felt short of breath, dizzy or had chest pain. Either the drug is having the effect we want, or else the placebo effect is strong as a motherfucker in this kid, either way, he feels good. Otherwise, status nominal. That big stress from last week is still a big stress, but I have a plan, I have time to deal with it, and I will be okay.
Hey, if this has anything to do with asthma, let me know. My 2 year old nephew has horrible asthma and is in the ER or Urgent Care at least once a month. Anything you know of or any clinical trials you can get him in would be rad.
So as I think I've mentioned, I'm in this show right now that I've been incredibly busy with, it's taking over my life, etc., etc. But this senior saw me in it and thought I was really good and offered me the lead role in his honors thesis?! So now I'm starring in a staged reading of a musical about education policy! We had the first cold read yesterday and I'm SUPER EXCITED.
Right,yeah. So I'm in this very weird show about two strangers who become intimately connected through a series of coincidences (being in the same cafƩ when there's a strange storm of birds, meeting in a small town in Ireland, seeing each other in an aviary) and then undergo this weird traumatic experience. I play one of the characters responsible for the trauma, which is cool, except it means that I've been in a really uncomfortable psychological space for like 2 or 3 hours a day for the past month. So I can't wait for the run to end on Thursday. It's also just a super fucked up show. Like, most people's reactions are just "WTF". So I'm not the biggest fan, because, like, the point of theatre is not to confuse your audience, right?
Absurdism is often done badly. I think there are plenty of undergraduate playwrights that read Rhinoceros but few that recognize that The Crucible was a lot easier to pull off.
Wow, that line is still burned into my mind after what, 4 years? I've never tried something with so many different emphases as that line. Also I love that play, because Miller hates hypocrites just about as much as I do.Be you foolish, Mary Warren? Be you deaf? I forbid you leave the house, did I not? Why shall I pay you? I am looking for you more often than my cows!
Confusion for the sake of confusion is worthless. Confusion for the sake of discomfort, to bring people out of their conformity bubbles for a bit and make them think on what they have in life, is a boon. Which one is your show closer to? How do you feel about playing in a show you don't enjoy?because, like, the point of theatre is not to confuse your audience, right?
I feel like this show is mostly confusion for the sake of discomfort, but it's discomfort for the sake of discomfort-- like there's no bringing people out of there bubbles and making them think about life, just "look at all this fucked up shit. This would never happen in real life, but aren't you uncomfortable now?" As far as being in the show, I feel like my main problem is actually with the rest of the cast. None of them are (IMO) very good actors, but more importantly, I don't feel like I can trust them. And that, combined with the script, has made the whole exercise pretty fucking tedious. But it's almost over.
Here is some more incoming unsolicited advice. You can't trust other actors, so don't. They can't trust you, so don't worry about it. It's up to you to find your character, it's up to them to find theirs, if you feel like you can't trust them, it becomes your problem to overcome. I also empathize with you regarding this and am only offering these opinions as someone who has been in positions like this before. Please don't read into it as a harshness or me being critical of you personally. I am telling you what I wish someone would have told me. (Subsequently, they never did, and it was only through reading works by Meisner that I was able to notice these defects in my own acting).As far as being in the show, I feel like my main problem is actually with the rest of the cast. None of them are (IMO) very good actors, but more importantly, I don't feel like I can trust them. And that, combined with the script, has made the whole exercise pretty fucking tedious. But it's almost over.
Why are you worried about confusing the audience? It's not your job to decide whether or not they will be confused. If you are an actor, you need to act. Do not worry about the audience. The audience might as well be an empty set of seats to an actor. The actor should be feeling for instinct and motivation constantly. The audience will appreciate this much more than your concern over their mental facilities.It's also just a super fucked up show. Like, most people's reactions are just "WTF". So I'm not the biggest fan, because, like, the point of theatre is not to confuse your audience, right?
Yeah that's fine, I am definitely projecting here so please feel free to take it as lighthearted. My advice: Try to have fun with how bad it is. I was once in a short local play where the characters almost unilaterally had no point of view. It was very boring and drab and preachy (There was something about a dominatrix who could control their emotions really ugly boring undergrad stuff). But i had a lot of fun, because i used it as an opportunity to just let loose. If nobody is gonna give a shit, then I am going to give it 200% more so that I can feel like I did my part. Just my 2c. Break legs, have fun.
I've started culturing cells this week. They look like how I imagine white blood cell cancer to look like: (in the absense of a suitable google image) a bunch of round spheres that double in number every time I open the incubator door. Somehow, maybe if I squint real hard, I'm supposed to pretend they represent brain cells. We also cleaned one of our instruments Monday, which meant opening it up and having a good ol' rummage round: In the mean time, lab's core method still having issues. We've spent more than a month of our time and traded out basically every single reagent, but still no dice. Also my knee has started hurting the past few days. It's gotten progressively worse, and today I came in to work with a limp. Set up a doctor's appointment, but got the bill for my last one and it was $215 for a 20 minute appointment that insurance is refusing to cover. My friend told me: "Welcome to your mid-twenties"
I used to have dreadful knee pain and eventually my wrists joined in on it. I was 21 and couldn't use my arm to push myself up from seated which tends to feel pretty pathetic at that age. Juvenile Arthritis is what one person called it however everybody else looked at me like a freak but it's gone now which is the hopefully reasurring reason I am responding here. Everybody thinks it's just downhill but sometimes there are solutions !
Haha. I'm sorry, this exchange reminds me exactly of this reflection on getting older and going to the doctor's, from Louis CK:
My grandmother was a doctor and apparently when old people came to her with problems sometimes she'd be like: Can you show me your passport please? Yes, see that date there? That's why your ankle hurts, go back home It was the USSR so I guess it was an acceptable thing to do back then :P
For me the problem was that there was no obvious reason for my wrists or knees to be hurting. I wasn't at a desk typing or running and that's why it took so long to figure out the issue. I actually still don't even know what the issue is technically. My mom has celiac and mentioned that before she was diagnosed she had bad joint pains she had just associated with getting older that went away after changing her diet. I had been meaning to get tested for a while since I had other issues and I decided to this time before spending hundreds on physio that might not be necessary. Well getting the proper test takes 4 damn months and I'm not the kind of person to just sit waiting patiently so I just stopped eating gluten. I only planned to stop for a little while to try it out but 3 weeks in I got a job working physical labour since all my pain was gone. I ate gluten again for a month after work was finished to get the test and it came back negative but I'll never actually know. I could have screwed it up by not eating enough, but I actually don't think I have it. I think they'll figure out in the next few years what's wrong because I just don't think I believed hard enough for any placebo effect. Not that I know how hard you have to believe, but I believed in other things more only to be let down. I would definitely call that a positive end considering all my problems were solved by not eating certain foods. I'm also now really into baking bread and I'm getting pretty good at it.
It's really not bad as far as digestive problems go. It's actually one of the easiest to manage and I would have been relieved if I had it although that's the perspective of ' if I'm going to be sick I would rather this' as opposed to the option of being healthy. Obviously healthy wins every time. Now I'm just hoping whatever is wrong with me stays solved by just changing my diet a little. For some reason I'm deficient in B-12 when I'm eating gluten but just fine when I'm not so I don't know really might have just messed up the test. My grandfather is the same way and he tested negative as well. I guess they'll figure it out eventually but for now I just hope things keep working out. Another theory is maybe it would have developed into Celiac since it is in the family. My mom only got bad later in life but had a few problems earlier that were seemingly related. I obviously can't know if she would have tested positive with the early problems but I do wonder. Oh and then there's my sister who got terrible migraines her whole life and those stopped when she stopped eating it. They came back again when she started eating gluten again but she isn't bothering with the test. People just don't have time for that kind of stuff so we won't ever know what's wrong with her but being migraine free makes her pretty happy these days. Scientists have their work cut out for them studying the human body that's for sure
Cell cultures are fun! Also responsible for my biggest embarrasment ever, but that aside, I don't get to do much hands-on work, so I remember it fondly. What cell line are you using? Or is it a primary culture? Also what is that thing jesus it looks huge.
It's exciting for now, but I'm sure in 6 months it will be a chore. But hey, it opens up the doors past "wait 6 months for our next batch of mice". BV-2 and N9, both "microglia". Primary culture may follow later, but they give a somewhat limited amount of material (in exchange for being /actual/ microglia), so I'm getting familiar with assays and testing inhibitors in these guys first. Plus my lab isn't equipped to do primary or iPSC-derived cells, so I have to walk across the street to collaborator's lab for that. See the rather-large table-top instrument on the left. We've got a way more ghetto HPLC (right) setup than what's pictured there though.What cell line are you using? Or is it a primary culture?
Also what is that thing jesus it looks huge.
Dude. I got multiple $100-200 bills over six months (almost 1k total in bills), thinking each one was the last of the bills, after breaking a pinky and having to go to an out-of-network orthopedic specialist in rural upstate Michigan. I got no sympathy from the insurance company, even though the closest in-network doctor was like 90 minutes away, I didn't have a car, and my finger was in diabolical amounts of pain and pointing sideways. It's no surprise that I know scores of people in their twenties and thirties who forego medical attention because they don't want to deal with that shit. What a mess.Also my knee has started hurting the past few days. It's gotten progressively worse, and today I came in to work with a limp. Set up a doctor's appointment, but got the bill for my last one and it was $215 for a 20 minute appointment that insurance is refusing to cover. My friend told me: "Welcome to your mid-twenties"
a few years ago I woke up with crushing chest pain and shortness of breath. I was a fat guy loaded up with stress in my late 30's... the logical thing to do is call 911 and NOT die from a heart attack, right? Nope. I went to the computer and googled "Chest pain and shortness of breath" and waited an hour or so until 7am when my normal doctor's office scheduling line opened up. I didn't want to pay the hundreds of dollars for an ER visit. Stop and think about that... All of the symptoms and life situations of a dude who could be having a heart attack and I went to google. How messed up is that? blergh.It's no surprise that I know scores of people in their twenties and thirties who forego medical attention because they don't want to deal with that shit. What a mess.
while I was trying to be "punny" - this whole healthcare situation is JACKED and probably not funny at all. From where I sit, which is a place of spoiled-rotten-white-collar-comfort, we are living in a system that is completely unsustainable. Something HAS to change. But as long as lawyers and lobbyists are running things... nothing will. We will just continue to spend more per person on healthcare than we should - and STILL have to put up with Rx commercials.
Damn, this was in-network, so I don't understand what the fuss is all about in my case... This accurately describes my attitude. =/It's no surprise that I know scores of people in their twenties and thirties who forego medical attention because they don't want to deal with that shit.
I have dealt with a lot of injuries in my life. It's pretty natural for a guy who spends as much time playing hockey as I do. In fact just last night I was dumb enough to grab a puck out of mid air and sprained a finger (possibly broken, but I highly doubt it). As such, I've been to the doctor enough times to know that if something hurts (a knee, e.g.) it's normally not worth a doctor visit. The most likely thing is that they're going to tell you to take motrin and rest. Unless you think something is seriously broken and needs surgery, I'd stay away.
Too late, scheduled already, but I wanted to talk to them about back (> 1 yr) pain as well. I suspect I just have weak tendons, as I've had wrist, ankle, and knee injuries in the past year. The struggle of being tall and lanky. =/Unless you think something is seriously broken and needs surgery, I'd stay away.
While back home and saving money, I've been advertising my very modest handyman skills to find some work during my free time. I've been working for a guy who owns 8 apartment buildings and 25 units, as well as several private homeowners, doing a wide range of maintenance and construction: rough carpentry, drywall gutting and hanging, painting, trash hauling, doorknob installing, and leaky faucet fixing. And occasionally helping a lady get her printer up and running. This work is quickly eclipsing the amount of money I make food running at two different restaurants. I'm always afraid that I'll run into something I have no idea how to handle. So I'm very quick to tell people that I am an amateur, though what I lack for in knowledge, I make up for in diligence and hard work. It's kind of thrilling, if all a bit stressful (I have no contractor's license nor is any of my income reported). Today I'm buying some tools. Like this Bosch 2-speed drill after researching it for a few hours now. And it's funny to me because, when I was younger, I never understood the fascination with tools. But now, I can't wait to get this Bosch.
and then you'll figure it out because that's who you are. Keep on rockin' in the free world. I know a few VERY successful contractors, craftsmen, developers and property owners who started out doing exactly what you're doing. I'm not suggesting you do that... but know that it can lead to great things if you end up enjoying it.I'm always afraid that I'll run into something I have no idea how to handle.
Not Boulder specifically. Colorado generally. Why moving? I think it's because I feel a deep stagnation back home. And when I was traveling, I really liked Colorado. There are probably a lot of places I could move to, I think it's more the act of leaving home for some time that's important. I could wind up going to CU Boulder if things worked out that way. I'd have to figure out what it is I'd like to finish with first, though I do have another year and some months to figure that out.
The YikYak scene was so much worse than the average place's. It was a stark contrast to all the outward positivity that the town likes to claim. Not that YikYak is a suitable metric to judge a demographic with, but you're not kidding when you say that vocal racism is alive and well in Boulder. Fuck those guys.
Good lord. Fucking idiots. smh. I'm sorry dude. Edit: what do you suggest? What's your reaction to this?
He's right. You couldn't sample the social media accounts of any population size larger than maybe 200 random Boulder people without finding xenophobic racism posted more than daily, on average. Boulder is a caucasian enclave, and although there's much disparity in the the distribution of their worldviews, the very loud racist fuckwads still make up a large contingent. And then there's the burgeoning homeless population, with a beautiful view, nested inside of a housing bubble. Really weird place, Boulder. You'd drool at the CU rec center though bro. More open squat rack time than anywhere else I've ever been to. Great equipment, nice layout, 1+ mile elevation. When I was there on business travel at LASP, I'd work 12 hour days/nights, workout, eat a boatload (per diem!), and repeat. Might tan by the hotel pool on off days. Easily the best few weeks of 2015. Sorry, reminiscing. Of course I'm white af tho :/
You sort of touched on though what I'd want out of living there for a few years. Mountains, skylines, a population of fitness minded people that I could tap into, trail running a mile high, bouldering (the rock climbing activity, not walking around town), I also want to pick up a martial art. It's actually all pretty self-indulgent. But I break it up with service and volunteering so I can sleep easier at night. But damn. Fuckin' A Boulder. I had no idea. Do you think it's generalizable to Colorado? What's it about Boulder? I know they have a massive Greek scene.
It's hard for me to hate Boulder when it was like a work vacation for me, even though my schedule was nuts sometimes. It was one reason that I never got to chill with anyone from hubski up there, I wasn't very available. The racism isn't as generalizable to Colorado, Denver seemed much more chill. The price of living in Boulder is so high that a most of the peeps who work at the Boulder branch of my ex-employer have houses in Louisville, a 25 minute drive away from their office building in the "West End" of Boulder. And that's weird for a town of less than 100,000 (the Google office there is weird too, but I guess they might interface with the University?). Boulder's not a town at all, it's the tip of a stupidly rich, long tentacle of Denver. Maybe they're even finished with all the construction work to broaden the highway connecting the two. Nah, just kidding, I doubt it. So yes, major college town, yes, Greek scene. 32,000 students, many from rural areas of a state that is very racially homogeneous. 87%+ white! That's crazy to me. Like I said, I'm white, and the only town I've recently lived in where I was in the majority was College Station, TX, oddly similar to Boulder, and I grew to hate it there. For reasons similar to ate-bit's (winkwinkwink) experience. What I've decided from all this is that racism is largely a lack of face-to-face exposure and "integration" with other races. I think most sociologists would agree. Lowest obesity rates in the nation, legal pot, incredible vistas, fascinating weather, two nobel prize physicists in the university faculty, bike/walking paths traversing the entire town, and only a 45-minute from a major city. Large population of young racists. It's weird. Also (I'm already going to hell, it's cool), while in Boulder, I came up with a game called "homeless or trendy?", and my coworker and I would get flat out stumped just about every time we walked around downtown. But to be fair, I often disguise myself as a bro, and it usually goes swimmingly, I even fool real bros. They'll talk to me about sports, and I'm a master of just bullshitting my way to acceptance.
Friends don't let friends buy Bosch. Also, why the fuck would you spend $130 on a fuckin' 12V drill? You can do exactly jack shit with 12V. I've got a fuckin' 12V Dremel and I think I spent $30 on it. I have three Black & Decker Matrix drills. This is because I bought one, then Woot had them for half off with the impact driver and two batteries, so I bought two, then I needed more batteries on the horrible job so I bought another with two batteries. That much has me about $40 more than your Bosch but it also has me with three bodies, five batteries, three drill heads and an impact head. To that I have added - - a jigsaw - a hedge trimmer - a grass clipper - a router And will probably add - a reciprocating saw - an air compressor - an orbital sander Note - the only thing it does really well is drill (and impact drill). But you know what? A shitty jigsaw that cost you $30 that runs off your drill kicks the shit out of no jigsaw. I've used the router only a couple times but it's damn handy being able to get into a router for $40.
Shit. So I read this first a few hours ago, and cancelled my Amazon order for the drill, figuring a little more research and a day's worth of shipping wouldn't hurt anybody. Why I ordered it: really good reviews on Amazon; someone I work with has this tiny Bosch and I like how sturdy it feels and how it can get into places; though it's a 12 volt, it reportedly has an immense amount of power and outlasted and outperformed similar drills and 18v drills; my boss has an extra battery that he'd give me that sweetened the deal. I also ordered it because I didn't want a cheap 30 dollar drill that craps out on me. But I'm now way less inclined to order it because (a) peer pressure, and (b) it dawned on me that the main endorser of the drill was the sweet home, a site that probably makes a not insignificant amount of their money from Amazon affiliate links, which pay out more the more the product costs. So there's no incentive for them to heartily recommend a cheaper good value. So it's worth looking into again. So THERE. I'll look again... Thanks. :p
I get Milwaukee tools. Well built, good prices, and almost everyone I know has them, so I can always have someone throw me a battery if mine dies. Plus, their new RED Lithium batteries are just so cool... the have a battery level indicator, they charge in minutes, and they don't peter out... they work at full power until they don't. So no more stupid trying to pull the last few volts out of a battery and being dangerous with it. It just works until the battery decides it is too low, then it stops. So you get a new battery instead of trying to use a failing tool without enough power to drive that screw/cut that board/drill that hole.
They look great. And this dual 18V and impact driver set at less than $200 is a bargain. And 5 stars with over 500 reviews is as good an Amazon endorsement as anything else I've seen. Thanks goobs
Welcome! Another cool thing about that kit is that the battery charger will actually charge their little cylindrical batteries that go in their other tools... like the little screwdriver, flashlight, etc. I am, in fact, planning on getting some of those tools from them now, too, since I can charge their batteries in the same charger.
This reminds me of that feeling when I get a fresh new hand saw for landscaping. Ahh that feeling when it cuts through hostas like nothing. Or a new hori hori, it's everything you could ever want in a hand tool. I'm hoping this year to buy my own for personal use.when I was younger, I never understood the fascination with tools. But now, I can't wait to get this Bosch.
Figured I'd talk about something positive in my life for a change. Yesterday was March 8th. In the former Soviet states, it's the International Women's Day. Yesterday was also a holiday as far as us students are concerned, so the first chance I had in congratulating the girls in my group was today. There are thirteen of them, and just one of my kind. It promised to be fun from the very beginning. I was on the budget, so I could afford nothing fancy, and since I don't know many of them to any level of intimacy, the presents had to be far more general than I like. I went on to pick chocolate bars (I wonder if the Dove brand is any international) and couple each with a personal message. The messages were short, to fit on half a business card-sized piece of paper, but most of them were heartfelt and on-point enough. I used the messages to say what I don't get to say very often yet something I thought the girls in question should hear. To the timid ones, I said not to be afraid. To the wallflower among us, I said "Blossom". So on. Girls took well to the presents. Hugs were received. Noticable and surprising was that the girls took on exchanging who got what message immediately, gleeing of joy at seeing at what I explicitely said to be personal messages of others. Oh well. They liked it, which means it's just fine by me. In other news, I rock the shirt & tie combo with rolled-up sleeves. Compliments from girls on the matter have been received, which is always nice.
I think that moving forward I may omit adding music to the #meethubski posts. mk has always suggested doing so and last night I posted an early edit without music and people preferred it. Granted, this was rd95 and goobster, two noted book burning, music haters. Still, perhaps it is more intimate without music. It would certainly save me time. Perhaps each one would have the same backing track to create uniformity? Maybe Eric Satie, Gymnopedie playing quietly in the background... Or just quiet. I'm okay with that. Thoughts?
From an art/cinema/production angle, background music should be purposeful. It should be a part of the story, entwined with whatever is going on. For example, in movies characters generally have theme music. When they come on screen, whatever music is playing has that character's musical theme subtly woven into it. On RadioLab, Jad uses music to underscore a point, or build a feeling. So just sticking a musical track behind someone talking is kinda the antithesis of that. (Seriously not trying to bash your work here. Just trying to give some broader context in which to consider your production choices for these meetHubski posts.)
Dude, the amount of time I put in to choosing, for contextual, textual, emotional and personal reasons, the music used is what takes the most time. Each song used in this is with intent. Hell, even the louder nature of the songs in the mix was intentional this time. I wish ButterflyEffect were here to let me know if he felt they added or subtracted or if he noticed the references etc. some are obvious, like the use of "Circle" by Edie Brickel when discussing inactivating his account, but others are specific to the content and the user. My overall question isn't how to incorporate music in the mix it's rather yay or nay. It think I've gotten pretty adept at using music and sound to help forge a narrative in the #tngpodcast's but it may actually detract from #meethubski
I have had so many fights about this, online and off. I could link you to a few offline. I've actually managed to have this discussion with a couple Oscar-nominated composers, and I worked with Alexandra Patsavas. I've negotiated mechanical rights and I've worked with composers on scores. The most important thing to mention to you I learned from Hummie Mann. It's like this: "Circle" by Edie Brickel means something very specific to you. It builds a very specific emotion for you. But that might be the song that was playing when I broke up with Trish. It might be that song Bob played over and over when he fucking refused to give up drinking. It might be any number of negative (or positive, or otherwise emotionally-charged) reactions that you have absolutely no control over. When you take extant music and dump it on a story, you are spinning the wheel as to how the audience reacts. An example: What does that song mean to you? I'll bet it's powerful. You probably have a lot of emotions associated with your experience of that song 'cuz it was fuckin' everywhere and it's pretty lyrical. Those of us in Reality TV, however, have probably worked with one or more people who grew up working on The Real World. Those people were used to the editors temping Everybody Hurts over every emotional montage on the show. And thus, those of us with an experience in Reality TV production are used to cracking up whenever there's something melodramatic happening because some asshole will crack the walkie and start the guitar over the top of it. I've been that asshole more than a few times. In fact, I had a movie with an overly melodramatic scene in the 3rd act that I was able to successfully get cut down by pointing out to the producer that "Everybody Hurts" was shorter than the scene. Bizarre niche case? Surely. But our reactions to music are all bizarre niche cases. "They're playing our song." I mean, fuck - Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" kept me in a bad relationship for four years. I still love it but it's an emotionally-charged tune to say the least. This is why people hire composers: music is powerful and music with no preexisting associations always works better than extant songs. And this is why people hire music supervisors: music is powerful and if they can find a song that nobody has heard before to shove into that scene, they'll make money off the soundtrack, the band will get rich and the entire project will be elevated. It matters. My advice? Stop trying to be a DJ and start trying to be a composer. You wanna put music behind the podcasts? Compose music behind the podcasts. You're probably the most prolific musician I know and it'd probably be a good exercise. - a friend of mineWhenever I'm really blue, I cruise Pornhub and find something ridiculously dirty. Then I download it and I open up Logic. Then I drop that nasty porn on the video track and I make the most ridiculous orchestral score I can. Never fails to cheer me up.
seconded. (I mean - I acknowledge that you've got a lot going on - but this could be a great and challenging way to play hockey. And when you accept that Oscar for best original score... we'll all remember that one time when KB brought it strong and pushed you into it.)start trying to be a composer. You wanna put music behind the podcasts? Compose music behind the podcasts. You're probably the most prolific musician I know and it'd probably be a good exercise.
Damn. Sorry. Now I feel weird... I assumed something you were just throwing "interesting" tracks in the background... but you were actually being really intentional about it. I guess I'll just go over here and sit in the corner for a bit. Sorry for not appreciating the work you had been putting into it...
I wasn't going to reply with anything because I have no idea about how to make good audio, but now that goobster's mentioned music with purpose, I remember 99% Invisible, Roman Mars' podcast, doing what sounds exactly like that, and it sounded great. I haven't heard any of the #meethubski yet, but I imagine you're not doing such stuff given the discussion.
A racist Trump supporter? Who'd have thunk it? There's a Chapelle bit about how white men will talk about anything personal--medical problems, fucking their wives, etc--except who they voted for. I don't know any avowed Trump supporters, but he just won my home state of MI by a comfortable margin. They're clearly out there. At least your guy can admit it, although if he's a pedophile he probably has a bit less shame about being a racist than most racists. Bigger fish to fry and all.
Slowly progressing on my bachelor's thesis, but I gotta study for a few exams, write a philosophy essay I haven't even found a paper for yet, and somehow find the time to spend a week at home. I sure hope these holidays last for a while, 'cause I'm having a blast. Except for the coughing that is, I could do without that.
Cognitive Science! My thesis is about multimodal sensory integration, we're looking at EEG data to see if we find anything interesting.
Happily! It's not complicated, actually. So imagine you're playing tennis. You will be trying to estimate where the ball is going. What information do you have? Well, obviously your eyes, but your ears will also help you because you can hear the ball swooshing through the air (and for a veteran player, hearing the way your opponent hit the ball is invaluable info). So how do you combine these data into one coherent picture? Well, scientists found out that we take the information from both senses and use them proportionally to create a mental representation. The proportion is determined by how reliable you think that sense is. In our example, we'd probably rely more on our visual sense, so maybe 70% visual and 30% audio. This all happens subconsciously in the brain. This process is called bayesian (because of the weights we assign to the senses) integration (because we combine both senses, which makes our model of the situation more accurate). Here's that principle in action. Red could be visual, blue aural. Green is when we integrate them. The cool thing about this is that we reduce variance by doing this: Our senses have a harder time tricking us! And that's pretty cool. So what somebody else then tried was seeing if kids did that, too. And it turns out they don't, it's not something we're born with - we learn this! What kids do is similar, but not quite as good: Instead of combining both senses, they rely on either one or the other, but they switch it around based on how reliable that sense is. So if you played a 100 balls, they'd rely on the eyes only for 70 balls and on their ears for the other 30. Now what we're doing is looking at how this impacts augmented senses. We have a belt that always vibrates in direction North. We then sit people on a rotating chair. They are blindfolded and have headphones on, so the only thing that tells them they are moving is their vestibular (your sense of balance) sense, and this belt. We're wondering what strategy people use to combine the vestibular sense with the belt. Actually, we already know that they use the same strategy kids use (which might also mean that the integration thing is hard-wired between each sense, not very flexible). But what we're now trying to do is find some activity in the brain that might help us find out more about this.
Jaron Lanier did some weird VR experiments backintheday where they arbitrarily connected the motion of a limb you don't have (like a tentacle, say) to arbitrary movements of a limb that you do. So in order to wrap your VR tentacle around that pylon, you have to point your elbow at the sky and flex your bicep. They were apparently shocked by how quickly our motor cortices adapt to random outputs because we run everything through a similar translator. I have no idea if that's at all applicable but it reminded me.
I agree with Ben. This is interesting stuff you're working on. I hope something good will come out of it that we'll all benefit from. If you have some interesting facts from that sort of research that we could use in our everyday lives, do share them!
I hope to go into neuroprosthetics, so this is a nice first step. That belt we use was actually developed for blind people. I think it's currently stuck in development hell, but if it ever becomes a real product, I can imagine it being really great.
You could build one yourself, they're no marvels of technology ;)
I honestly don't know if I'm enjoying this whole decoupage shit that I picked up as a side hobby. On the one hand it's kind of fun creating something even if it doesn't take a whole lot of effort or talent. I started cutting up some more comics last night and I'll cut up a few more tonight. Since there is more cutting than pasting involved, I've started organizing various characters in file folders. The whole thing just feels, productive. As an added bonus, I'm saving a bunch of full page ads as well. They're almost all either video game ads or promotions of other comics, but I like ads and they're pretty awesome, I'm thinking of taking pictures of some and sharing them on here. There are a lot of doubles though, so I might give some away. On the other hand though, cutting up the comics is kind of getting to me emotionally. I've been raised that it's important to take care of the things we find valuable, even if they don't have financial value. Comics in both areas. Fortunately they're all comics from the early '90s to today, so it's not like I'm cutting up anything super rare or hard to find (or expensive). At the same time though, I feel like I'm cutting up a bit of history. I feel twinges of regret every time I cut into a new book, like I'm running the risk of contributing to the loss of American culture. Speaking of preserving stuff, kleinbl00 and mknod, if you're reading this, I've started looking at digital comics. I discovered that Comixology offers DRM free PDFs from a lot of publishers. It looks like the hangup though, is that even when you pay for bundles, the prices aren't much better than buying physical trades. If I'm paying close to what a physical title would cost, I'd much rather just have the physical title and worry about wear and tear when it happens. Would either of you two happen to know of any other legal, DRM free sources? Also, _refugee_, book binding looks like it might be a fun and worthwhile hobby, so if and when the time comes, I'll definitely look into doing that.
The Sad, Unhappy Truth About the Comics Industry - Geoff Johns, at a closed event I participated in - Redacted, a small publisher that was trying to take on one of my scripts 'member back when Sony was busted seeding their shit ahead of release on Oink? It's like that. The secondary markets of the comic book industry are so huge compared to the primary market that the primary market is a loss-leader. I have prices, only about five years old, from six different publishers, turning my comic book script turnkey into a graphic novel, including pencil, ink, lettering, publishing and distribution. For a 4-part comic, anywhere from $15k to $30k. For a 120pp graphic novel, anywhere from $18k to $40k. Those prices have likely gone down. Vanity publishing wasn't a thing. Self-publishing wasn't a thing. Even then, that's cost, not profit. Say I have a run of 4 books, 10,000 copies each, and I sell them for a buck fitty. My spoilage must exceed 75 percent before I lose money. Meanwhile, if I only sell a hundred actual comics, I've probably got between four and forty thousand downloads. Sure, I'll never profit off of that and probably 5% of the people torrenting the book will actually read it, but twice as many people have read my book for free than have paid me money and at the small run level, eyes count. I worked on a movie whose distributor leaked it onto TPB before it was available anywhere. We had 700 (mostly negative) reviews on IMDb before the film had even been released. how many angry 4channers actually bother to review a film? Who knows? That much buzz, even negative buzz, helped us secure distribution by SyFy. And remember - if you buy it used the publisher, the author, the illustrator get nothing. There is no secondary market participation by publishers. None. All those year-old comics you buy at the shop? There was a time the music industry called that "piracy." And down in LA, at least, we have Comic Book Sunday, whereby all the nerds get together, drink beer, and trade books entirely off-record. There's literally a giant table full of take-at-will comics. I became a hero when my agent gave me a literal filing cabinet full of graphic novels to drop. If you're actually buying comic books? New? In any format? YOU'RE A HERO. You're also a vanishingly-small minority. The only people who care about the sales numbers are the owners trying to sell movie rights. Even the authors understand that secondary markets are where it's at and the artists are all paid in advance. Steal big, steal little, borrow, lend, archive, curate, decoupage, whatever. The comics industry as it exists now is Marvel and DC dangling boobs in front of those 125k readers in order to keep them active and a smattering of tiny publishers that get their art and ink done in Slovenia and Korea for vanity authors that are mostly looking to sell the movie rights. Literally. 30 Days of Night was a script that didn't sell, that became a comic book that sold less than 10,000 copies (it's at #220), that was optioned for the movie rights, that became a screenplay, that became a movie. When buddies of mine were tasked with "find a comic for me to adapt" by Timur Bekmambetov, Wanted had sold a hundred thousand copies. b_b's family are book-binders, apropos of nothing."We estimate the active comic-buying audience at approximately 125,000 people. Green Lantern's audience is on the order of 25 million. If a segment of the audience is upset at our interpretation of canon, those are the breaks."
"Roughly 90 percent of our audience torrents our shit."
Yeah, I know that the comic book market has shrunk significantly. There are probably a lot of factors involved, but I wonder how much a the '90s market in general played. A lot of comic companies folded, such as Continuity Comics, Malibu Comics, Comico, etc. Marvel and DC were doing stupid and shitty things, Image comics early in its career with a few exceptions was just putting out garbage left and right. Then there was the whole speculation bubble. It was a really weird time to discover comic books. I think part of the reason why I pay for comics, also why I buy almost exclusively from the smaller publishers instead of "The Big Two," is because I think my purchases do make a difference, even if physical comics are pretty much a loss leader these days. I have two regular comic shops that I go to, both local, and my money stays local. I'm supporting these guys' livelihood. I feel that my contribution, however small, helps support the writers, artists, and publishing companies as well. I deeply and thoroughly enjoy the products they create and want to support these people in any way possible. I also know how crappy the small audience can be too. The market is really tight, and sometimes you find yourself some really good titles that just don't last because they don't get enough readers. All in all, I know the industry is really struggling right now, but it's such a wonderful format for story telling. I hope it's something we don't lose, because it would be an utter shame.
You haven't, but you're right. I should read that. I picked up a copy of Komiks: Comic Art in Russia and if I'm to be honest, I could only get about five pages into it. It's a very hard read, but I want to give it a second shot. For some reason, I think it's important. In all seriousness, do you know of other historians out there who have a focus on pop culture, such as comics, advertising, and television? I'd love to read what they have to say.
Off the top of my head, no. But this shit is breathtaking. Netflix had it on DVD, but that was backintheday. Not sure where you can grab it these days...
My aunt is a restorer of ancient books and texts for the Folger Library, and actually worked on the restoration and conservation of Shakespeare's First Folio. (Which is coming to Seattle this month! Woo!) It is a fascinating business, and the skilled craftspeople that do it are aging, and not being replaced. It could be an amazing gig, with not a lot of competition. Also, _refugee_, book binding looks like it might be a fun and worthwhile hobby, so if and when the time comes, I'll definitely look into doing that.
I don't know if this is apt comparison, but do you think you would feel similar sentiments if you were a composer who made all of his music out of samples from other tracks? It's essentially the same concept. Cutting up old and potentially forgotten works and transforming them into something new. Though I guess there's a difference with sampling, in that you're not actually irreparably deconstrcuting the previous work in the process.At the same time though, I feel like I'm cutting up a bit of history. I feel twinges of regret every time I cut into a new book, like I'm running the risk of contributing to the loss of American culture.
Though I guess there's a difference with sampling, in that you're not actually irreparably deconstrcuting the previous work in the process. Well, like thenewgreen pointed out and you figured, in order to make this work I have to take things apart. That's a huge hangup for me, as I feel that preservation is an important part of appreciation, whether we're talking about art, historical artifacts, nature, what have you. The fact that there are multiple copies of these comics out there, readily available and many preserved by people who take the hobby of comic collecting very seriously, makes what I'm doing a little easier. I think the other big hangup that I'm having, is artistic merit. Don't get me wrong, I like the two pieces I've made so far, but objectively speaking, they're sub par. The final products came out wavy (and I think a bit too glossy too, to be honest) and I think if you took them to an art critic and said āWhat do you think about the composition of these pieces?ā the art critic would respond with āThere's supposed to be composition here?ā I feel like that in order to justify the amount of time these take and that I have to spend money and destroy comics to make them, they need to be good. I thought about that a bit last night as I was cutting up books. I want to do a few more, to get better technically, but then I want to actually do something better. Something with good composition and a bit of actual creativity behind it. For example, I was thinking about the character Bloodshot and how visually, he's a very straightforward character. A guy with stark white skin with a giant, blood red circle on his chest. I was thinking for the collage for him, after I have all the images glued down, I would paint the entire canvas/board/whatever I decide to use white with a blood red circle in the middle. Would it be the most creative idea ever? No. Would I be willing to call it art, let alone good art? Probably not really. But, that little bit of extra, would make it seem more worth while. I've just started, so to say I have a goal let alone an āartistic visionā would be a hell of a stretch. That said though, I kind of hope that maybe after a few years, if I keep at it, what I make might border on the realm of modern folk art. I'm doing decoupage cause it's relatively easy, relatively cheap, and I can easily incorporate something that I personally very much enjoy into what I'm actually making. If I were to be honest though, when it comes to art, I'd be very hesitant to call it that. There are much more talented people out there who make more from less.I don't know if this is apt comparison, but do you think you would feel similar sentiments if you were a composer who made all of his music out of samples from other tracks? It's essentially the same concept. Cutting up old and potentially forgotten works and transforming them into something new.
That's a very 21st century way of doing things. Where's the fun in that? :P rezzeJ and thenewgreen, I'll shout you guys out here just because this part contributes to the conversation we were having earlier. I just got home from going to one of my comic shops today, raiding their fifty cent long boxes and just shooting the shit with the owner. I was picking through a lot of these books, mostly from the '90s and mostly terrible (hence them being in the fifty cent long boxes) and I was pulling up issue after issue that were all parts of horrible story archs, thinking āNo one will read these again.ā Suddenly, I felt like by buying these crappy issues, neglected issues that no one wants and doing something with them, I'm giving them slightly more value than if they were just to sit in a box taking up retail space. I think maybe, I'll be careful about what I cut up, but I'll also make sure to not feel so bad about what I do.
I hear you. I've been making music in some form for the best part of 10 years. These sort of feelings towards one's own work never goes away. Sometimes it is temporarily abated after a success, but it always lingers in the pack of the mind. I can only imagine that's exacerbated if one was to feel a sense of 'guilt' in regards to their process. Perhaps a way to get around that would be draft your pieces digitally of or using photocopies? Then once you're happy you can use the real comics cut-outs. I have no doubt that there are. I also have no doubt they're more experienced that you. Or they might've specialised in area you haven't. Or they could have profession tuition and feedback. Or... Comparing your work to that of the people you admire or even your peers can be fast track to a loss of self-confidence. Use other's work inspire you, or to analyse technically, but never to compare. In my experience it only ever leaves me feeling inadequate. I wouldn't worry whether you think your work is art or whether art critic would think it's good. At the end of day such classifications mean very little unless one wants to try and make living out of artistic pursuits. And even then, those things come naturally out of the practitioners experience with their art-form rather than something that is intentionally attained.I think the other big hangup that I'm having, is artistic merit. Don't get me wrong, I like the two pieces I've made so far, but objectively speaking, they're sub par. The final products came out wavy (and I think a bit too glossy too, to be honest) and I think if you took them to an art critic and said āWhat do you think about the composition of these pieces?ā the art critic would respond with āThere's supposed to be composition here?ā I feel like that in order to justify the amount of time these take and that I have to spend money and destroy comics to make them, they need to be good.
There are much more talented people out there who make more from less
Really good points, actually. I think, if I were to be honest, I'm going to continue to do these things with the intent on getting better. Partially because I think the act of creating something is more meaningful if you create it with the intention of doing it well, but also so I feel more accomplished about what I'm doing. Besides, I think the majority of the stuff I make I'll end up giving away. If I'm going to make things to be gifts, they should be good gifts.
I see what you are saying, but it's a bit different. With the music, we're talking about a digital format for the most part and the original is still there. With this, you have to literally cut up a physical object that will never be the same again. You are destroying something to make something else. You're not borrowing or copying something, you are destroying it. Big difference.
I realised that fault in my comparison a few minutes after posting. I tried to edit in that additional last line as a caveat. You are right though. It is an important and unavoidable difference which breaks down the comparison. Thanks for confirming my suspicions because it certainly helps me see more clearly where rd95 coming from. I think I'd feel the same.
Sure, but this particular piece of "pulp" can often have sentimental value. Just like a record could. People may be less inclined to sample music if it meant cutting up the records to do so, even if records are plentiful.
I have had several artist friends that enjoy melting their records down into bowls. Wax pressings, the staple of DJs back when two turntables and a microphone meant something, could only be played a dozen times or so before they were too destroyed to use. I agree: there are sentimentalists that love their vinyl collection like it's worth something. Then there are those who realize the only reason Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon finally dropped off the top 200 was because CDs don't wear out.
Yeah, but I have records that are from deceased friends/family that hold more meaning than te sounds in them. Incidentally, my merch booth at the New Green shows had a melted down record bowl holding our stickers. -I loved it.
Notice how we've creeped from "cutting up comics" to "melting down family heirlooms." I think it's safe to say that nobody's going to decoupage Action Comics #1. That stack of comics you got from your cousin before he went off and died in 'Nam? Hey - if you're more likely to enjoy them carved up and lacquered onto a canvas, do that. I'll bet that at least a couple of those valuable records you hold are up in frames on the wall - yeah, it's nondestructive but it's still repurposing.
fuck man, I make that much working in kitchens doing prep work. Some people I work with didn't even finish high school.
Restored pretty quickly from my mini-flu from last week. Some group members were a bit pissed that I couldn't do anything but the project did fine without me. So yay for being useless? I'm celebrating by playing Rocket League competetively. Man is that game ever addicting. Also, my Batmobile is superb.
Still plodding along. Nothing much important's going on. Still alive, anyway.
I'm in that quater-life limbo funk at the moment. I have a potential opportunity looming that consists of a few years hard word and then a likely substantial payout if it goes to plan. Not 'fuck you' money by any means, but it would be enough to let me do what ever I want for the foreseeable future. Especially as I'm careful with money anyway. It's in an area I've never really had a desire to be in, but I could be good in it regardless. Spinning round in my mind as I think about it are the lyrics from Porcupine Tree's song Time Flies: you realise time flies And the best thing that you can do is take whatever comes to you I was wondering whether this was that clichƩ point where I give up on my dreams, but then I realised I never actually had any. I've pursued music because I receive positive feedback from the world for it, and it's about the only thing right now that exhibits the power to summon any sort of strong emotion within me. But I've never had any sort of grand vision or point to prove with it. I just follow whims. Time will tell.But after a while
Unsolicited advice? Whatever you do, whether it's something you're passionate about or just something you're doing so you can get by, do it with conviction and you'll have a better chance at succeeding. People almost always notice good, hard work. :)
Musical expression increases in direct proportion to leisure time to explore it. Musical ability, on the other hand, is often driven by deprivation. I know that the happiest musicians I know are the ones with day jobs. They are not, however, the most famous. Food for thought.
The problem with being comfortable is that it starts to become tedious. Yet you still remain just comfortable enough to not be motivated into action. A bit like when smoking weed becomes too habitual. Comfort is a walk through open fields on a summer's evening, with a breeze bathing your face with its cooling touch. Sure, it's lovely. Perhaps even ecstasy in the moment. You could easily see yourself staying in that environment indefinitely. But sooner or later you're going to start yearning for some mountains. Something to challenge and sharpen the senses. That's why I enjoyed my time in higher education, because those 'mountains' came to me in the form of deadlines. I would be perpetually challenged, as well as being safe in the knowledge that I would likely enjoy said challenges. But now that's over. And I'm realising from here on out that if I want mountains to climb, then I'm likely going to have to build them myself. That what I'm struggling with and I guess always have. I could be over-thinking it and/or being melodramatic of course. Maybe this is a natural plateau and not one of my own creation. Who knows. I'm sure I'll find out at some point.
Had a really serious reality check from a friend recently. Pretty alarming stuff, social anxiety is a lingering problem. Still trying though. I think I've finally decided I'm gonna take a bit of time off after I graduate. I'll probably head to Canada for a little while, no clue if its just a trip or what. The only thing that I could see putting this idea on hold is if Bernie Sanders wins the nomination. If that happens I will work for his campaign until November. After that I take a shot at working for some NGO's, or the UN in some human rights capacity. Exciting stuff is coming.
I went to a Tuesday night run club last night. I was the slowest person there, but yay running. Still felt fine, even if they're faster.
Doesn't matter if you're the slowest. Stick with it, and you will not stay that way for long. In fifth grade I could barely swim a length, these days I'm a certified life guard. As long as you have fun, you're doing great. And still better than most people.
Thanks. :) I'm definitely having fun. It feels really good to get out and be active. The groups didn't seem to care, it's just me being uncomfortable with new people. One of my goals is to add distance, and going slower seems to be helping that.
I used MeetUp. It was my first time using it, and running seemed like a safe thing to do. Safer than a "single professionals" one for sure. The people were all great, basically ambivalent to me being there. Which is good for me as I have issues with people, too.
It has always disturbed me, even as a kid. I wonder what the thinking was behind that? It bothered me that R2 and 3PO didn't either. Without R2, there's NO WAY any of this is possible. Sheesh. Droidism, wookiism. What kind of galaxy we living in?
I'm revising for my retake exam (finally got a date! 22nd March). Work starts on the 14th so I'm trying to get as much studying done as possible this week, because next week is going to be fucking hectic. I'm currently at a friend's house in London (Tuesday to Thursday) because sleeping on a sofa is better than just going to the city twice (train tickets are so expensive). So I'm pretty stressed right now.
I'm told that there are two confirmed cases of mumps at my university. I just got my vaccinations done again last semester, so I think I'm ok but I'm also getting over a cold and I'm starting to second-guess myself. "Class, take a look at my testicles-- are they really swollen or is that all in my head? I live in a throwaway culture, but I don't want to be sterile." You know? Oh and I'm looking at getting my eyes checked and new frames too.