Saturday, February 10, 2007
Black & Green: Revisited
So, I finally got around to signing my java applet for my final project for one of my classes this semester, it's the one with the names of IED victims. Here's the link to Black & Green. Just a refresh of what it is and how it works. Basically it's using the iCasualties.org database on information all Coalition forces who have been killed during the Iraq War by I.E.D.'s. It then parses through the file that I have created from their database (this one currently isn't a live updating one, due to their change in formatting I hope to make it to be able to be live again). It then displays information about those who have died in text form and changes through the names on a semi-random timing each with their own accompanying explosion. This piece I'm going to end up sending to a show at Bethel University that is looking at how to memorialize the Iraq War. So, yeah I just figure I'd put it up so you all can see it and hear it, you do have to turn your volume up a bit though to really hear it, it's a tad quiet at low volume levels, but don't crank it.
The State of the Lt.
It's been awhile since I've actually had something substantial to write about or so it seems I think. This week had been rather busy with kind of culminating in the middle with two of my classes with big projects due. The first was for my experimental documentary class, where I had two short documentaries due on the same topic but done in two different fashions, direct/observational and reflexive/participatory. I decided to do this assignment around my friend Matt's character, Healbotmachl in World of Warcraft. Work flow was a bit of a pain but I succeeded in making them I may post them up later this weekend or sometime in the near future they're not that great as they were done in a weekend, but It's like segway to another project I want to pursue within World of Warcraft which can only be described really as, John Baldessari meets World of Warcraft meets LEEEEEEEEROOOOY JENKKKKKKINNNS!
The other class assignment was a presentation I had to give for another class that's all about massively multi-user games. I of course did my presentation on WoW however I had trouble coming up with a topic and didn't come up with one until the night before the presentation. I decided to do it on naming policies, trends and conventions in WoW. It was a very funny presentation and most of the class was dying laughing including the teachers (one of whom looks like Ron Jeremy). I included real life names int the presentation, such highlights as Stabbymcstabs, Petmypussa (one of matt's characters), Trouserchilli, and Nuck Chorris (I did have a whole section devoted to Chuck Norris). It went over very well, so I was glad. I also was very burnt out having had only about 4hrs of sleep for like two or three days I forget. However, what is good, the bulk of presentation and junk for the whole semester are out of the way since I ended up doing them earlier rather later.
Classes have been very good thus far and engaging for the most part. However going back to my assignment for my documentary class I was about to go off on some of the classmates. The first one was these two students who I really can't stand actually. They used f'n iMovie lightning in their piece and a push wipe and a clock count down wipe. I'm sorry those sins are too grave to be forgiven for. They tried to pass off their bullsh!ttery as their intent to show that they indeed had a perspective and it was their point of view and they wanted it to be "over the top." To that I had to say something and could hold my contempt no longer. I was like I don't believe it worked then because it seems like it was rather haphazardly placed at the end and does not actually convey what you're saying. Had you had been consistent with it maybe, but this was definitely not the case. One person also had a question about one of their shots and was it on purpose that they composed that shot that way, with which it was obvious they hadn't. However, the teacher had a very knee jerk reaction to that and was like every shot has meaning. I feel this is ultimately flawed in it's reasoning and a lil too idealistic and utopian if not naive. Onto the second group of people who I have no bone to pick with however, they decided to do their piece about homeless people. What did they do? They made everything black and white. I had issues with this. I asked them why did they choose to use black and white when it seems that it may over-sentimentalize, marginalize, and aestheticize the subject matter, rather than use color to show the harsh reality. The teacher was like yeah, why did you use black and white? They had no good response to that.
In another class we have begun learning how to snoop on networks and crack them and map them. Very very fun homework I must say.
I'm preparing to send out my IED name piece out to a show about memorializing the Iraq War at Bethel University. I still have to write my proposal, I hope it gets in, I think it's got a good chance I think it's a strong piece.
The NYC recruiter for Apple called me up today to offer me a job actually as a full time Mac Genius, at my pick of stores, however I had to turn down this offer, since it was full time and I have no time to commit 40 hours to a job right now being in school. On another note, I potentially might have an internship with Laurie Anderson however, it's very tentative and I won't know until monday whether or not I got it.
It's cold, it's been bloody cold out here. Early this week I walked to school and it was 9. 9 bloody degrees. It was a lil warmer today which was nice. I'm just glad I'm not in upstate where it's snowing like mad. Unrelated I saw Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Awesome movie and probably one of the best performances I've ever seen by Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro. Great movie, I felt like I was tripping. But ya, I'm tired and it's late. G'nite all.
The other class assignment was a presentation I had to give for another class that's all about massively multi-user games. I of course did my presentation on WoW however I had trouble coming up with a topic and didn't come up with one until the night before the presentation. I decided to do it on naming policies, trends and conventions in WoW. It was a very funny presentation and most of the class was dying laughing including the teachers (one of whom looks like Ron Jeremy). I included real life names int the presentation, such highlights as Stabbymcstabs, Petmypussa (one of matt's characters), Trouserchilli, and Nuck Chorris (I did have a whole section devoted to Chuck Norris). It went over very well, so I was glad. I also was very burnt out having had only about 4hrs of sleep for like two or three days I forget. However, what is good, the bulk of presentation and junk for the whole semester are out of the way since I ended up doing them earlier rather later.
Classes have been very good thus far and engaging for the most part. However going back to my assignment for my documentary class I was about to go off on some of the classmates. The first one was these two students who I really can't stand actually. They used f'n iMovie lightning in their piece and a push wipe and a clock count down wipe. I'm sorry those sins are too grave to be forgiven for. They tried to pass off their bullsh!ttery as their intent to show that they indeed had a perspective and it was their point of view and they wanted it to be "over the top." To that I had to say something and could hold my contempt no longer. I was like I don't believe it worked then because it seems like it was rather haphazardly placed at the end and does not actually convey what you're saying. Had you had been consistent with it maybe, but this was definitely not the case. One person also had a question about one of their shots and was it on purpose that they composed that shot that way, with which it was obvious they hadn't. However, the teacher had a very knee jerk reaction to that and was like every shot has meaning. I feel this is ultimately flawed in it's reasoning and a lil too idealistic and utopian if not naive. Onto the second group of people who I have no bone to pick with however, they decided to do their piece about homeless people. What did they do? They made everything black and white. I had issues with this. I asked them why did they choose to use black and white when it seems that it may over-sentimentalize, marginalize, and aestheticize the subject matter, rather than use color to show the harsh reality. The teacher was like yeah, why did you use black and white? They had no good response to that.
In another class we have begun learning how to snoop on networks and crack them and map them. Very very fun homework I must say.
I'm preparing to send out my IED name piece out to a show about memorializing the Iraq War at Bethel University. I still have to write my proposal, I hope it gets in, I think it's got a good chance I think it's a strong piece.
The NYC recruiter for Apple called me up today to offer me a job actually as a full time Mac Genius, at my pick of stores, however I had to turn down this offer, since it was full time and I have no time to commit 40 hours to a job right now being in school. On another note, I potentially might have an internship with Laurie Anderson however, it's very tentative and I won't know until monday whether or not I got it.
It's cold, it's been bloody cold out here. Early this week I walked to school and it was 9. 9 bloody degrees. It was a lil warmer today which was nice. I'm just glad I'm not in upstate where it's snowing like mad. Unrelated I saw Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Awesome movie and probably one of the best performances I've ever seen by Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro. Great movie, I felt like I was tripping. But ya, I'm tired and it's late. G'nite all.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Issues of Authenticity
So, funny that issues of "Authenticity" come up even with the Transformers, haha. To think one class I'm in right now doesn't want to even deal with the term authenticity. Also, concern with Aesthetic, haha, yes bloody great.
Busta a Serpent? "Whoo-Hah"
Ya, pretty awesome. Something I wanna do sometime have fun editing like this. I love the "Han Solo" part with Shipwreck and the weed part. So, funny.
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