My friend Kris has done some work for this worthy organization.
Help the puppies.
Colorado Pitbull Rescue
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Lazy Sunday Edition
I got up early and called around to a few of the properties in D.C. that I have been watching on Craig's List. Several were not interested in renting in August, which is interesting. I guess I am too used to the Ann Arbor time table of leasing, which holds that if you do not have a lease signed by February, you are out of luck.
There are a few places that look quite good, and are willing to lease and I'll be visiting them next weekend with Claire.
---
On Saturday I met Tenzing.
He is adorable.
---
Last night I bought an AP Style Guide; The Elements of Style, by E.B. White and his mentor William Strunk Jr.; and Writer's Market.
Can I have a job now, please?
---
It looks like I'll soon be writing for the Beachwood Reporter, an online culture magazine based around Chicago. Though I probably won't get paid from the gig, I've really enjoyed blog-writing (here, and elsewhere) and given the fact that it's rather in vogue these days having a few more on my resume can't hurt.
---
Today, hoping to rekindle my fervor for Starcraft II, I downloaded the Zerg Awakening Trailer. I have to say that I was disappointed by 80% of it. The writing, and especially the voice acting were god-awful. You have to wonder what was going through their heads as they wrote/recorded/mixed/edited/reviewed this short 133mb video.
The monologue is bombastic, and sappy. It tries very, very hard to have an epic edge, but it falls flat. Instead, coming over more as sophomoric. To me, it sounded like the kind of thing that some gothy teenagers had thrown together in their spare time and dropped onto YouTube.
Also: Blizzard is starting to bore me. I used to feel like there was some differences between the style of their games. However, everything is starting to look more and more like World of Warcraft. There doesn't seem to be much flair or originality to the design of anything anymore. Did they sack the entire art department and replace it with one, well motivated, competent, but very boring artist? I have no idea.
The video's one redeeming factor was the in-game footage. That is to say, 50% of the in-game footage was interesting. Half of it was genuinely cool battles taking place on an absolutely massive scale, and a few other, smaller, vignettes of new Zerg abilities. The other half were totally stupefying, if not completely boring, in-game shots. A squad of some kind of air-squid flying over a desert does not stoke my fires and start me reaching for my wallet. Neither does whatever is going on here:
Are we supposed to understand that in StarCraft II, buildings will fart at each other?
---
Blizzard has started to rub me the wrong way lately. While I was initially excited to see StarCraft II about to release, I have since become quite wary of it. First, they launch the site with next to nothing on it, but then fail to wet my appetite or keep me interested with regular updates. For a company that made a mint on clever, creative online communities (e.g. WoW) this seems unnaturally stupid.
If this game turns out to be another WarCraft 3, in that it is 3-D, playable, but an overall boring experience then I will be greatly dismayed.
---
Tomorrow, I have to do something funny for the final meeting of my Psychology of Humor class starring the New Yorker Cartoon editor Robert Mankoff. I'm a little scared.
There are a few places that look quite good, and are willing to lease and I'll be visiting them next weekend with Claire.
---
On Saturday I met Tenzing.
He is adorable.
---
Last night I bought an AP Style Guide; The Elements of Style, by E.B. White and his mentor William Strunk Jr.; and Writer's Market.
Can I have a job now, please?
---
It looks like I'll soon be writing for the Beachwood Reporter, an online culture magazine based around Chicago. Though I probably won't get paid from the gig, I've really enjoyed blog-writing (here, and elsewhere) and given the fact that it's rather in vogue these days having a few more on my resume can't hurt.
---
Today, hoping to rekindle my fervor for Starcraft II, I downloaded the Zerg Awakening Trailer. I have to say that I was disappointed by 80% of it. The writing, and especially the voice acting were god-awful. You have to wonder what was going through their heads as they wrote/recorded/mixed/edited/reviewed this short 133mb video.
The monologue is bombastic, and sappy. It tries very, very hard to have an epic edge, but it falls flat. Instead, coming over more as sophomoric. To me, it sounded like the kind of thing that some gothy teenagers had thrown together in their spare time and dropped onto YouTube.
Also: Blizzard is starting to bore me. I used to feel like there was some differences between the style of their games. However, everything is starting to look more and more like World of Warcraft. There doesn't seem to be much flair or originality to the design of anything anymore. Did they sack the entire art department and replace it with one, well motivated, competent, but very boring artist? I have no idea.
The video's one redeeming factor was the in-game footage. That is to say, 50% of the in-game footage was interesting. Half of it was genuinely cool battles taking place on an absolutely massive scale, and a few other, smaller, vignettes of new Zerg abilities. The other half were totally stupefying, if not completely boring, in-game shots. A squad of some kind of air-squid flying over a desert does not stoke my fires and start me reaching for my wallet. Neither does whatever is going on here:
Are we supposed to understand that in StarCraft II, buildings will fart at each other?
---
Blizzard has started to rub me the wrong way lately. While I was initially excited to see StarCraft II about to release, I have since become quite wary of it. First, they launch the site with next to nothing on it, but then fail to wet my appetite or keep me interested with regular updates. For a company that made a mint on clever, creative online communities (e.g. WoW) this seems unnaturally stupid.
If this game turns out to be another WarCraft 3, in that it is 3-D, playable, but an overall boring experience then I will be greatly dismayed.
---
Tomorrow, I have to do something funny for the final meeting of my Psychology of Humor class starring the New Yorker Cartoon editor Robert Mankoff. I'm a little scared.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Dog Stays In The Picture
Behold: Tenzing der Überhund!
Claire went out to meet this darling dog this past weekend, and little Tenzing is now spoken for by this particular Barker.
Tenzing, a five-week old male Icelandic Sheepdog is from a breeder in Royal Oak -- one of the few in the country. As soon as graduation unfolds, Claire will be picking up the little guy and whisking him off for puppy training in Galena before bringing him to D.C..
It's my turn to meet him this Saturday, at which time I will present him with one of ten (10) recently purchased dog toys.
I'm sure many of you are wondering about my job prospects and all that, but for now please enjoy more pictures of puppies.
Banjo Cameo
I have been featured in a work of art done by Adrian Choy. Please enjoy it.
EDIT: Oops! It's too big!
I have to go to class, I'll fix it when I get back.
EDIT: Fixed!
EDIT: Oops! It's too big!
I have to go to class, I'll fix it when I get back.
EDIT: Fixed!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Remember the Point
And the point is to remind the readers that you are alive.
Yes, I am still here (alive and kicking). Spring break ended as all good things must, and I have been in the bosom of Ann Arbor since the beginning of March.
The monday I returned, I started a new mini-course taught by the cartoon editor of the New Yorker Mr. Robert Mankoff. A very interesting man, whose views on the analytics of humor match my own. Actually, that gives me far too much credit. It's a very interesting course, and I'm really enjoying it.
The Gargoyle has entered it's final production phase. We pint on Friday, and will be on the racks come the following Tuesday. That's not a lot of time, and the final form of the mag is not solid yet. But, I am certain we have enough to fill it. Which is good.
Write No Evil is dead, long live The 57th Street Company.
This past weekend I completed the UM Book Publishing Weekend Workshop, lead by Esther Margolis (of Newmarket Press) and Kay Radtke (I might have misspelled that name). It was a fascinating, and arduous, experience but it really did give me insight into the book publishing world.
Why'd I do it? Because I think it might be something I want to do for a living.
There's a Student Pub Board meeting tonight. Usually I enjoy these, since it gives me a chance to relax, have an excuse to do no homework that night, act important and most importantly: get fed. I'm worried because this comes during layout week, but I think we'll be okay.
Oh, and I am attending graduation. At least, I assume I am graduating.
Yes, I am still here (alive and kicking). Spring break ended as all good things must, and I have been in the bosom of Ann Arbor since the beginning of March.
The monday I returned, I started a new mini-course taught by the cartoon editor of the New Yorker Mr. Robert Mankoff. A very interesting man, whose views on the analytics of humor match my own. Actually, that gives me far too much credit. It's a very interesting course, and I'm really enjoying it.
The Gargoyle has entered it's final production phase. We pint on Friday, and will be on the racks come the following Tuesday. That's not a lot of time, and the final form of the mag is not solid yet. But, I am certain we have enough to fill it. Which is good.
Write No Evil is dead, long live The 57th Street Company.
This past weekend I completed the UM Book Publishing Weekend Workshop, lead by Esther Margolis (of Newmarket Press) and Kay Radtke (I might have misspelled that name). It was a fascinating, and arduous, experience but it really did give me insight into the book publishing world.
Why'd I do it? Because I think it might be something I want to do for a living.
There's a Student Pub Board meeting tonight. Usually I enjoy these, since it gives me a chance to relax, have an excuse to do no homework that night, act important and most importantly: get fed. I'm worried because this comes during layout week, but I think we'll be okay.
Oh, and I am attending graduation. At least, I assume I am graduating.
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