365 Photos, Day 59: Igloo

I saw two of my friends (one is more of an acquaintance than a friend) building an igloo by the dining hall today. I hadn't built an igloo or anything snow related in years. I guess that college or school does that to you. It robs you of what it means to be a child, all the fun and innocence. Sometimes ... I wish I could go back to that time. But, unfortunately, I can't. And neither can we as a people.

365 Photos, Day 58: Evening Plans

I'm only going to see Lauren. Not New Moon. Or Brothers. Or Brian Wolfe.
Lauren can be found here: http://youtube.com/laurenoc12

Buried Alive and More Fun

Last night, I held a snake, shook hands with a clown, was buried alive, and searched through six boxes with potentially stomach-churning contents to face my fears. Truth be told, I'm fine with all four of those options. And I'm now in the running to win an iPod Touch. We shall see how things go.
Apart from that, I went to the BUMP and Late Nite co-sponsored gig. The two bands playing were Secret Beach and River City Extension. Secret Beach is a local college band and I happened to know the keyboardist. They put on a good show, but ... the singing was alright. As for River City Extension ... wow. High energy, bluegrass-y, Americana folk rock ... fantastic!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see Lauren O'Connell's gig tonight!

Allons-y, Alonso!

- Jason

Oscar Picks

As the Oscars are nearly upon us, I decided to make my picks now instead of the day before or the day of. The nominations list below is courtesy of the official Oscars website. My picks are highlighted in red.

Leading Actor

Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart
George Clooney- Up in the Air
Colin Firth- A Single Man
Morgan Freeman- Invictus
Jeremy Renner- The Hurt Locker

Supporting Actor
Matt Damon- Invictus
Woody Harrelson- The Messenger
Christopher Plummer- The Last Station
Stanley Tucci- The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Leading Actress
Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side
Helen Mirren- The Last Station
Carey Mulligan- An Education
Gabourey Sidibe- Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz- Nine
Vera Farmiga- Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal- Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick- Up in the Air
Mo'Nique- Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Best Animated Feature
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

Art Direction
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

Cinematography
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

Costume Design
Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

Directing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Up in the Air

Feature Documentary
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

Short Documentary
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit à la Berlin

Editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Feature Foreign Language
Ajami
El Secreto de Sus Ojos
The Milk of Sorrow
Un Prophète
The White Ribbon

Makeup
Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

Original Score
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up

Original Song
"Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog
"Down in New Orleans" from The Princess and the Frog
"Loin de Paname" from Paris 36
"Take It All" from Nine
"The Weary Heart" from Crazy Heart

Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Best Animated Short
French Roast
Granny Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerta)
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

Best Live Action Short
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

Sound Editing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

Sound Mixing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Visual Effects
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Adapted Screenplay
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Up in the Air

Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

More snow

So ... it's snowing. It has been overnight. We have, according to the Weather Channel and the Weather Channel reporter visiting the area, 15 or so inches. It's currently still coming down. It's small flakes, but it's still coming down heavy.
***
I went traying last night with a few amigos on what I would consider to be the other side of campus. For those who don't know what it is, traying is sledding ... but with a dining hall tray or a garbage pail lid instead of a sled.  I had never been traying before. It was ... well ... fun! I went down the hill twice, wiping out both times. During the first run, the tray I was on came in contact with another tray on the course and I wiped out. The second time, I was trying to angle myself left, further away from a tree awfully close to the course and needless to say ... I got some snow in my pants or my shirt while wiping out. And a bit in my boots, too.
We were out from around midnight to 12:30 before we clomped over to the nearby dining hall for warmth. And some morsels, too. Nothing like a nice warm chocolate chip cookie with friends after fun in the snow.
***
I got this text from my dad earlier: "We've been w/o pwr since 9 last nite, how r u doin?"
I replied with, "Still have power. At least a foot of snow, I think. Probably around 15". Classes started at 9:40. Plows are out."
He replied with, "Kwl."
Really, Dad? You're over 3 decades older than me and you've sunk to typing "r" and "u" instead of "are" and "you"? I mean, yes, there's a limited amount of characters you can send in a text message, but we do have an unlimited plan AND you could've fit the full words in the entire message unabbreviated.
So ... I heard from my parents and brother earlier. School was canceled today and my brother didn't have school yesterday. They have no power and have had no power since 9 last night.
And for your viewing pleasure, here's a shot of the covered grill on the deck back home.

Apologies for the orientation of the picture.
Now, to brave the snow and make it to class without getting stuck in a snowbank or slipping and breaking a bone.

Allons-y, Alonso.

- Jason

365 Photos, Day 57: Snow Toilet

Right by the tree in the middle. Yes. Seriously. Some friends made it yesterday.

Snow and Pop Culture

It was snowing today. And it still is. We probably have between 4 and 6 inches. And we're predicted to get a foot or so overnight. And there are supposed to be gale-force winds. Just wonderful.
Classes after 1 PM were cancelled today. And my classes ended right around 1. Oh well. The county is currently in a state of emergency and has been since around 6 PM.
There may or may not be no classes tomorrow. I don't know for sure.
***
In my Symbolism in Popular Culture, we discussed texting in relationships and breakups and the standards of proposals and such. And the professor mentioned Chat Roulette. I got a kick out of that, being the only or one of the few people in the class who knew about it. I haven't checked it out yet, but I AM planning on it. I AM planning on making a discussion video about Chat Roulette for March. Probably mid March. And I'm debating whether or not to send it to my professor to show in class.
The question is ... should I?

Allons-y, Alonso.

- Jason

365 Photos, Day 56: Snowball

It's been a while since I've made one.
And I must say ... it feels good.
I scooped up some snow while passing the Union, on the way to the Academic building that my first of two English classes is in. I molded and packed it while making my way up the stairs. It felt ... good.
I was making something.
I was feeling it.
It was hardening and gaining a form in my hands.
My hands ... they felt cold ... freezing. But it felt good.
Enjoy the snow today.

365 Photos, Day 55: Screenwriting

Questions, Not Answers: Lost - Episode 6.05 - "Lighthouse"

This post contains possible spoilers, so read at your own risk.

Questions
The timeline and events are clearly different than the plane crash timeline:

• Jack had his appendix out at the age of 7 instead of on the Island.
• Jack doesn't have a sedan. Or did he always have that truck?
• Jack and his wife never had a son in the plane crash timeline.
• Was Jack on better terms with his dad?

Other notes:

• ... Someone else is coming to the Island?! WHA?! NOW?!?! ... Wait ... is it Aaron? Or Ji Yeon?
• Was David listening to Geronimo Jackson or Driveshaft?
• Claire has clearly gone the way of Rousseau. ... No ... I'm going to say that she has the "sickness" and/or has been brainwashed by Christian's reanimated corpse and Smokey in a corporeal form.
• Hurley remembers Shannon?! How long has it been?!
• Dogon off the Island?! WHOA!
• ... JIN! HOW COULD YOU?!?!

Alice in Wonderland
References to "Alice" have been made throughout the show, like the Looking Glass station. In this episode, David is reading "The Annotated Alice" and the spare key to Jack's ex-wife's house is under a rabbit. In "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", Alice got to Wonderland by following the White Rabbit.

The Numbers

Jack's ex-wife is at the 23rd house on whatever street she lives on.

108 degrees is the desired angle on the gear at the lighthouse.

Jack is at degree 23 on the gear at the lighthouse.

365 Photos, Day 54: Today's Show

Most, if not all, of what I played on the show today.
The podcast should be up on http://TARDISwhrw.blogspot.com by Friday.

365 Photos, Day 53: 3 Cheers for Multi-Tasking?

365 Photos, Day 52: Set List

From Via Audio's gig. In addition to Via Audio, The Tins and Turbines played.
http://myspace.com/thetinsmusic
http://myspace.com/turbinesmusic
http://myspace.com/viaaudio

365 Photos, Day 51: In Which I Feel Like Edgar Wright

365 Photos, Day 50: Ticket Stub

It was ... alright. It translated pretty well ... but a bit was cut towards the end and a few bits didn't seem to translate too well or at all. And as with books, I pictured things differently, like the layout of the island. The cast was good and I enjoyed the appearance from Jackie Earle Haley. I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

365 Photos, Day 49: A Possibility?

I WANT ANSWERS, NOT MORE QUESTIONS! (Post the First)

Like you (if you are), I'm a fan of Lost. If you're not ... yeah ...

ANYWAY! All the promos and episode teasers that I've heard on the radio and seen on TV before and after episodes have aired have the same key phrase: "The time for questions is over." ... Bull$#*#!

Why am I calling "Bull$#*#"? THERE HAVE BEEN MORE QUESTIONS SINCE THE FINAL SEASON PREMIERE!
Let's do a little question recap, shall we? (CAUTION: Slight spoilers.)


Episode 6.01 and 6.02 "LA X"

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

• Where's Shannon?!
• Was the magazine Rose was reading a hint towards something?
• The dialogue between Rose and Jack ... what was with the change in the delivery?
• Charlie's back. When will we see him again?
• Desmond. He appeared on the plane out of the blue, I'd guess. Where did he go?
• So, Jack randomly started bleeding? How'd that happen?
• As Hurley is the "luckiest person on earth", does that mean that all his bad luck (i.e., the mental hospital, the therapy, etc.) hasn't happened to him?
• The pool ... that's how Ben was revived/saved in the past ... but how? And what's up with the color of it? How does that factor in to it?
• How did the ankh come to have Jacob's list of Special People and how did it come to be in a guitar case?
• What did Juliet mean by "It worked"? Was she referring to the creation of the alternate timeline?

Episode 6.03 "What Kate Does"

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

• The flight is in October? Correction: Prop error.
• Did Kate recognize or realize something about Jack on the way out of the airport in the taxi?
• Where'd the cabbie go? The guy who plays him (David H. Lawrence, a.k.a. Doyle from Heroes) is going to be on the show in a few other episodes.
• So ... Ethan is now Ethan Goodspeed, not Ethan Rom? How ...?

Episode 6.04 "The Substitute"

(Image Courtesy of Maureen Ryan's Entertainment Columns on the Chicago Tribune website)

• What was with the names on the cavern walls? Is that Jacob's list of potential replacement candidates?
• How did Ben come to be working in the same school Locke is a substitute at? AND WHY IS HE STILL SO CREEPY?!
• How did Hurley not recognize Locke from the flight?
• How did Rose come to work for Hurley? And did they not realize that they were on the same flight?
• I thought that Locke and Helen split before Locke went to Australia. How are they still together?
• Locke is on good terms with his dad?! So ... how did he lose the ability to walk? And does he still have his kidney?
• I would guess that the young blonde boy that everyone but Richard could see was a young Jacob. Does that sound about right?

That's it for this week. See you in another week, brotha.

***

P.S. I'm thinking about continuing this through the series finale. Good? Yes? No?

365 Photos, Day 48: Wounded

365 Photos, Day 47: Fat Tuesday Noms

365 Photos, Day 46: More Work

365 Photos, Day 45: My Valentine's Day

WorkworkworkworkworkworkworkworkworkworkhasmadeJasonadullboy.

365 Photos, Day 44: Contemplative

Generational Gaps (Slight Spoiler Alert)

Ah, generational gaps ... also known as "Hey, Mom! We need to show Grandma how to use the computer!" or "Dad, MTV stopped playing music videos AGES ago!" or "Mom and Dad, I'm dating someone from England ..." ... or something along those lines.
As of late, I've seen two movies (one for the second time and clips of one) that do an excellent job of looking at and exploring the gap between the younger and older generations ... Generation X and Y, perhaps? Or are there different generation names now? Never mind that.
Let's start with the classic "The Graduate" ... the one I still have to see all of ... ANYWAY! From the clips we watched in my Cinema class, it clearly shows how different Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) and his parents are. His parents want him to socialize with their friends when he'd rather sit up in his room and ruminate over things. They dress him up in a scuba suit which they got him as a graduation gift and they parade him around the backyard in it, much to their amusement and the amusement of their friends. Needless to say, he finds solace on the bottom of the pool. He is cut from a different cloth, so to speak. He doesn't want to be a part of their suburban cookie cutter lifestyle.
Now, let's look at a more modern and recent flick: "Up in the Air". Seeing it the first time, I noticed the generational gaps outlined, and viewing it for a second time solidified the divide between those gaps. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a man who is set in his ways and is slowly becoming antiquated. He fires people in the flesh. He talks with people and develops relationships in the flesh. Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), on the other hand, is the plugged-in woman of the future. She creates a new method of firing people: via webcam. It's personal, yet impersonal at the same time. While on the road with Ryan to gain experience at actually firing people in real life, she talks with her boyfriend via what is most likely Skype. Something happens between them and she ends up being dumped via a text. Whatever happened to a call or a face-to-face breakup? ... ANYWAY! She ends up getting her new-fangled creation up and running, but Bingham's boss, Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman), pulls the plug after one of the people Ryan and Natalie fired in Detroit kills herself. Natalie quits her job via text message. Again, what happened to a call or a face-to-face resignation? ... Where was I? Oh! Yes! Generational gaps!
So, "The Graduate" and "Up in the Air" present you with two different generations: the older "set in their way" generation and the younger "movers and shakers/apathetic" generation. The question: which do you choose? Which do you want to be associated with? ... Albeit, the generations are portrayed differently in both films. ... Let's look at this through the lens of "Up in the Air": would you rather be the personable guy who is somewhat old-fashioned and set in his ways, yet can still function well in the modern world or would you rather be the impersonal guy who is up on the current technology and other such things? Me? ... Honestly ... there's nothing wrong with being old-fashioned.

Allons-y, Alonso.

- Jason

365 Photos, Day 43: Eliana

I was able to get her on my friend Joe's show today. And she'll be on my show on Tuesday.
More of Eli is available at http://www.youtube.com/user/Punkerthanthou6

365 Photos, Day 42: Callbacks

365 Photos, Day 41: Snow

We have ... at least an inch. Maybe 2. Or more.
It's still coming down. Snow blower trucks have been coming by frequently. No word about cancelled classes.

365 Photos, Day 40: Radio

My show started up again today. I'm quite happy. It was a good show. Time flew by. And my eyes were too big for my stomach ... in a sense.
More info at TARDISwhrw.blogspot.com and twitter.com/TARDISwhrw.

365 Photos, Day 39: Leftover Cake

Yes, I still have. 's been a good day. Watched most of the rest of The Godfather in my film class. Auditioned for two shows being put on by one of the campus production companies. The callback list will be posted tomorrow night.

365 Photos, Day 38: Super Bowl

Or maybe that was a commercial. Unsure. Didn't really focus too much on the game, but I was pulling for the Saints. The commercials were okay this year. And I did spot David from David After Dentist in that ad for Vizio. :)
And The Who were pretty good, too. :D

365 Photos, Day 37: Closing It

Dream Journal #2: The Comedy Troupe

I know that I haven't done one of these posts in a while, but I decided "Hey, I'm up, so why not?" And one of my friends is also keeping track of her dreams to improve her chances of lucid dreaming, so ... I might as well give it a shot.
****
So, I woke up to receive a call from Jon, one of the members of the campus's comedy troupe. He told me ecstatically that I had made the group. I told him "I didn't try out, so how could I have made it in?" He replied that they had all talked it over after not seeing me at auditions. The rest of the call was either garbled or I was too tired (in the dream) to understand what he was saying about the next meeting and all.
Cut to a dorm room, similar to my own where the members of the troupe are meeting. I popped onto the bed and one or two of the members groaned, as if to say "Why/how is he a member?!" One or two other members entered the room with the same expression on their faces.
Cut to a hilly area, where the members of the troupe and I are standing. One person is sledding down at a time to get weather readings or something like that from the bottom of the hill. (Don't ask. I don't know either.) I went down and I met Seth, an acquaintance of high school and a current classmate. He was checking readings. I didn't check anything. We both brought up the sled and some of the weather equipment to the top of the hill.
****
And that's that. Anyone good at picking apart dreams?
Speaking of sleep ... you should really check out Sleep Talkin' Man.
And this cover of Doctor Worm couldn't hurt either.

Until next time. Allons-y, Alonso!

- Jason

365 Photos, Day 36: Othello

365 Photos, Day 35: Barely a Cloud in the Sky

365 Photos, Day 34: Film Club

365 Photos, Day 33: Music Time!

Today's queue: Vampire Weekend's "Contra", Have Gun Will Travel's "Postcards from the Friendly City", The Magnetic Fields's "Realism", OK Go's "Of the Blue Colour of the Sky", Spoon's "Transference", and Super 8 Bit Brothers's "Brawl".
I won't get through them all today. I think I'll be back a few times this week.
But it's nice music to have on in the background.

365 Photos, Day 32: Work, Work, Work