Guess who is bored? And hungry?
That's right! I am bored and hungry, and considering running to MSU Bookstore to buy a thing of Nutty Bars, but then fearing that my computer in the Computer Lab will be *gasp* TAKEN when I come back!! So in that case, I sit here and try to update my web page and post into my blog, since I have been so incredibly faithful doing that... (Note: That was supposed to be sarcastic.)

Well, not a whole lot is "new" with me. I do have my car back although it was leaking oil for a little bit (still) but fortunately for me, Paul fixed it pretty easily with a whole new rubber plug thingy.

School is back after a mostly uneventful Spring Break which involved feeding llamas, chickens, and a Degu. Although honestly, I really have no idea what a "Degu" is. *lightbulb* Hey, I'm on the Internet, huh? I can look it up! (*Goes to a search engine and looks up Degu. Locates a site called www.degus.org.*)

Hey, that looks like Tony the Degu alright!! Anyway, in case you are interested, a Degu looks sort of like a really big gerbil and they are really hyper. At least, the Degu that I took care of was hyper.

Dude, parts of this "degus.org" site are written in Czech, a language which I don't know. I'll have to get the Czech Republic kid that I know to come in and translate for me.

(*Searching for more information on Degus... over half of it seems to be in German... I'm not kidding, you try searching for it...*)

No wonder I've never heard of a Degu before. Only people in Europe seem to know what it is. Anyway, Degus are pretty cute and I kind of want to get one, except for the fact that I've never seen one at Pets Mart so apparently you have to import them from either Germany or the Czech Republic. I find that really strange, considering that according to all these web pages, Degus are from Chile. Hmm, whatever.

Now, notice that I've spent the past several minutes talking about an obscure rodent-like critter. That might not be a good sign. Actually, I think it's just more proof of my boredom.

Also, I have two more things I want to mention. One is that we are moving in a week, and I have no idea where I am going since the house we are moving into has ONE LESS BEDROOM!!! Jeez, thanks for the hint, parents!! Just kidding.

The second thing I am going to mention is that I have to go to work tonight after school, which kind of sucks, but hey, that's life in the U.S. for you.

And I just thought of a third thing to mention. Yesterday in screenwriting we watched a really good movie called "All The President's Men."

And now that I have rambled about Degus, moving, work, a Robert Redford/Dustin Hoffman movie, oil leaks, and Nutty Bars, I think I should probably go. See you at MSU Bookstore in front of the Little Debbie's Section!!

Of Chrysler LeBarons and Forgetting About Oil
One of the main reasons which I have not written in this Blog in a little while, (although I'm sure nobody cares, and I'm even more sure that no one is reading this... oh well, I can pretend) is that my life has been so sucky lately that I have been spending what little spare time I have playing some therapeutic games of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.

Anyhow, why, you ask, has my life been so sucky? Well, it's freaking busy to begin with, but it's been that way for the past few months. Anyhow, today's suckiness is going to focus on a little thing called... CAR TROUBLES.

CAR TROUBLES are not a good thing. You do want to deal with CAR TROUBLES.

A warning to all those out there who are auto-shop-ically challenged like myself... NEVER PUT OFF CHANGING YOUR OIL. NEVER PUT OFF PUTTING OIL INTO YOUR CAR. NEVER SAY, "MY CAR NEEDS OIL, BUT I CAN WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK AFTER [INSERT PROJECT HERE]." Doing so will inevitably (sp?) result in CAR TROUBLES.

13 days ago, my car started making strange and really loud grinding noises before grinding to a halt in my futile attempt to at least get my poor car home. Well, before long I was stranded on the intersection of 19th and Baxter at 11:00 PM.

You see, it was CAR TROUBLES.

My car was towed off to the shop, and the next day I found out what it was... the engine had blown a rod. No oil. My fault.

And because I had delayed doing something which would have taken me five minutes and a couple of bucks, my CAR TROUBLES had erupted into a $1500 nightmare.

CAR TROUBLES. Avoid them like you would a plague, to paraphrase... somebody.

I was fortunate in that, on one day a week ago, I got EXTREMELY LUCKY and managed not only to be approved for a $1500 loan without a cosigner, but also to locate a working engine for about a fifth of the normal price. So they put it in my car and all is well, right?

Not exactly. They test drive it and find out that now it also needs a water pump. So they fix that up, too. More money. NOW everything is fine and dandy, right?

Wrong! CAR TROUBLES strikes again! I go to pick up my car today, all psyched that I will once again be united with my 1990 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe which I have pledged never to ruin again.

But wait... it's leaking oil. And suddenly my car is back in the shop again.

Ah yes, CAR TROUBLES. Will they ever end?

One thing is for certain-- I am now the owner of a 14-year-old car which, in the past year, has had a new transmission, a new gas pump, a new water pump, and a new engine. Hmm, maybe I should just cut my losses and get a new car...

Nah.

More on life and its suckiness to come later. In the meantime, keep those cameras rolling and remember... beware of those pesky CAR TROUBLES. Szervous!

C'est la vie
Well, life is life in the World of this particular Girl Nerd. I spend basically my entire days at school, or during the weekends or on Monday, at work. I haven't had a chance to do my laundry for a few weeks, so I am running out of clothes. My directing project is tomorrow, and I don't know if my actors know their lines. The "Listworthy" feature on Target.com is glitching out and making me irritated because there is no way to save a "draft" of your list if you want to, or to delete lists that you no longer want.

Yesterday, my car started making a psychotic rattling noise out of nowhere and then died at the Intersection of 19th and Baxter on my way home from work, so it got towed for what I think is the fourth or fifth time in the past six months.

My room is a mess. I forgot to put my VCR on "Auto Record" for Survivor All-Stars, which is tonight at seven o'clock.

My Financial Aid Rebate Check all disappeared and I have no idea where it went. All I know is that last month I had $800, and right now, I have about $250.

I am in about forty-thousand group projects. Did I mention that my major is being a big pain in the butt right about now?

Joseph Lieberman isn't going to run for President so now I have no idea who I am going to vote for.

I haven't gotten a "Good Nights' Sleep" in months.

I don't get Target Cards anymore. I used to be really good at getting Target Cards. I used to be able to get like one or two every day I worked. Now I get one a week, if I'm lucky!!

I studied for all the wrong things on my Sound test, and most of it was over the things that we happened to learn while I was sick in bed and unable to attend class. I studied for all the wrong things on my Directing test, even if I did read those things on e-reserve. I just don't remember who wrote them, that's all!

And on top of all that, I keep feeling the urge to go out and do weird nerdy things like play Final Fantasy Tactics Advance or buy Pokemon cards or join some sort of Internet Digimon roleplay.

About the only interesting thing going on in my life right now is that about 15 seconds ago, I heard a noise outside the window, and I looked out and noticed that a huge pile of snow had fallen off of the roof of Traphagen Hall. AVALANCHE!! Hehehe...

Classes Continued!
Hey, look, people, now I'm back even though I already posted today! But this time, I'm here to finish up talking about those MTA, Sophomore level classes! So hang on, here we go.

SOPHOMORE CLASSES CONT.

MTA 252 Editing:
Overview: Learn about the craft of film editing and practice it yourself in labs.
Prof: David Scheerer-- a good guy if you can get past his constant speeches on why filmmaking is going down into the abyss.
Highlights: The textbook for this class is actually really interesting. You will learn A LOT.
Drawbacks: I have yet to start working on the project, but I've heard it's the most nerve-wracking and hate-inspiring project in years. And of course, you have to learn to deal with Scheerer's little speeches.

MTA 253 Directing:
Overview: Spend the first half of the semester learning "how to" direct for theatre (in quotes because it's not really something you "learn" per se,) and spend the second half learning "how to" direct for film.
Profs: Joel Jahnke and Paul Monaco-- Joel is hilarious and very helpful. All in all, he's a great teacher.
Highlights: You will learn a lot, (like in so many of the other classes.) Not as "technical" as a lot of other film classes, this is mostly creativity here. Your film in this class will "tie in" to your final editing project.
Drawbacks: If you are introverted and don't have a whole lot of friends (like me) you may have some issues since the class is very much "social-based"... telling actors what to do, essentially. Some acting is involved especially in labs, so if you hate acting, you may be a little bothered.

MTA 254 Sound:
Overview: Learn about the mechanics of sound, how they need to be recorded for film, and how to mix sound into a computer.
Prof: Dave Koester-- down to earth and knowledgeable. He makes you feel like you are on his level. (And that's a good thing, by the way.)
Highlights: You'll get to use things like sound boards and expensive microphones with the word "Sennheiser" involved. The final project is mapped out for you, step-by-step, so you don't fall too far behind.
Drawbacks: You'll want to "mess" with the mixing board more than you'll be allowed to. It can be difficult to set up reasonable meeting times with your group members depending on your schedules.

MTA 255 Cinematography:
Overview: Learn about using a camera, (specifically a 16mm Scoopic in this case) to tell a story. Both technical and aesthetic issues are discussed.
Prof: Cindy Stillwell-- Knowledgeable, helpful, and often unintentially very funny. A lot of the phrases she has coined are priceless. (Example: calling the sun the "Big Gaffer in the Sky.")
Highlights: Once you start using the camera, you will learn how to work it relatively quickly and any reservations you had with it from MTA 102 will fade away. This class contains a lot of important fundamentals, in my opinion, it is "the" quintessential filmmaking class.
Drawbacks: It's real film-- so if you accidentally "screw up" a part of your final project, you can't go back and fix it. You will have to live with it. Also, buying/prosessing/shipping film can be expensive.

MTA 261 Scenic Design (and Stagecraft)
Overview: Learn how to build and design sets specifically for the stage, although some film-related things are also discussed. Overall, the course is a unique blend of both technical and artistic attributes.
Prof: Tom Watson-- the "unique" lighting guy I mentioned earlier. He obviously knows what he is talking about.
Highlights: Lots of in-class "Production Shop Hours" give you a hands-on way to experience the class, and tactile learning, of course, sticks with you the longest. Some people may enjoy the drafting that is involved.
Drawbacks: You're in big trouble if you've never touched a tool kit before. Some of you may be frightened if you feel you have "no drawing skills" since some drafting is involved. And also, a lot of you will probably hate drafting.

Well, that's about all for now. Some of those classes I am still taking. (Specifically, Writing, Editing, Directing, Sound, and Scenic Design) so my opinion on those may change eventually, but for those this is basically just what I have observed thus far.

Anyhow, I have about another hour to kill in the computer lab here before I head off to the Sound lab, so I'm thinking of either adjusting all this class stuff that I just wrote for no reason and putting it on my web site (also for no reason,) or maybe checking my e-mail again or something. I don't know, I'll come up with an idea.

So anyway, thanks for listening to my likely incoherent ramblings. Wish me luck on my directing project. Until next time... "Twenty X-ty Six!"

The Interesting (Not exactly in a good way) Week
Yes, these past five or so days have been, well, let's just say... eventful. I had to say "exactly" in the title, because I don't know how to spell the better-fitting word that begins with a "n". Anyhow, I just got over having some sort of viral sickness, which basically just made me really naseous so I had to skip school and do nothing but lay in bed and watch TV all day, which got old fast. One time I went to work anyhow, and that definitely sucked.

And to top it off... just about 10 minutes ago or so in the middle of checking (er... emptying) my e-mail, my computer restarted for no apparent reason. Every other computer in this big room was fine. Nope, mine was the only one to screw up.

So anyway, I kind of want to continue what I started last week, that is... a run-down of the courses I've been taking in MTA. So without further ado... (although the girl next to me told me I was an amazingly fast typer)... here I go:

SOPHOMORE YEAR:

MTA 222 Lighting Technique:
Overview: Learn about all the lighting equipment involved in theater and film. A combination of hands-on activities and physics lectures.
Prof: Tom Watson-- The closest example of Bi-Polar Disorder that I have seen. Some days he is just "there," and other days he is literally dancing and singing. No more comments.
Highlights: Even if you aren't great at this class, any little skill that you gain from it will help you immensely in the long run. Also you will finally learn what a grip and a gaffer are.
Drawbacks: Be prepared to learn all the obscure light-techie names, like "inky-dinky" and "teenie-weenie." The final project, a "light plot", is difficult and tedious work.

MTA 232 Acting I:
Overview: Learn about acting because even if you aren't going to be an actor, you'll probably have to work with them and their "quirks."
Prof: Stephanie Campbell-- different people give her mixed reviews. Personally, she reminds me of a new-age psychologist and mentor.
Highlights: Improv and mask work is fun. You will definitely improve as an actor.
Drawbacks: A lot more writing involved than I originally expected. You will have to see close-ups of your face, on film, in front of the entire class.

MTA 251 Writing:
Overview: Learn about the craft of screenwriting and watch clips from films that demonstrate this. Since everyone wants to be a writer, well...
Prof: Dennis Aig-- The type of guy who would play the cynical, wisecracking sidekick to the hero in a buddy flick. Like most sidekicks, though, he tends to get on your nerves after a while.
Highlights: You'll get to watch some genuinely funny material. Since you write your own script, you don't have to worry about synchronizing your schedule with anyone else's.
Drawbacks: You'll get to watch some genuinely screwed up material. (Sound familiar?) Writing screenplays is harder than it seems.

Well, now it's time for me to scamper off to class, which is Scenic Design and which I will talk about in more detail perhaps another time. So long for now!

Final Test (Project) 4: MTA 222 Lighting
Okay, so technically it wasn't a final test. But today at noon, we did have to turn in... the last big huge thing of the sememster... my lighting project... A LIGHT PLOT!

And yes, I did spend a majority of my time yesterday doing it. You see, I'm not afraid to admit that I hadn't started it yet. So I went home after the test yesterday, and I worked on my thing for about three hours straight with only minimal breaks. Then I went on to work at it (on a more off-and-on pace, thankfully) for the rest of the day and then I put the finishing touches on it early this morning before school...

So all and all the thing took me about six hours, total. I don't think I really knew what I was doing most of the time, but hopefully I will receive a decent grade on it.

Also besides handing those things in, we had to watch a whole bunch of "Second to the Last Project" things in lighting. Watching Cager mouth the words to Mel Gibson in "Signs": Priceless.

I found out my cinematography final score. I got like 139 or something (out of 200) on my final project-- the lowest score out of all the people who did one. (Dang exposure problems. I still feel like an idiot.) And I got about a 71 or something on the Final Test... sort of middle to lower-middle of the road... All and all my grade in that class somehow balanced itself to an 83.2%, which is either a B or a B-, but whatever, I'm satisfied!

I still have to go find out what my final test score was on math, which I unfortunately have not done yet as of writing. But this is probably the last you will be hearing of me for about another month since this is the last time I will have Internet access until next semester. (Of course, Griggs promised to get us DSL if he stayed another six weeks, but whether he'll go through with it or not is likely iffy...)

So anyway, until next time, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Peace, Love, and Video Games.

Final Test 3: MTA 232 Acting
Hey, check this out! Three days in a row, man! Actually, right about now I'm waiting to get my hands on some of those color swatches for my Lighting Project, which I will be working on all day today. But first I get to tell you about my third (and really, my last) Final Test!

It was the test in MTA 232: Acting. And guess what: It was easy. I mean, really easy. Well, okay, I left 5 of the 15 "What term is this definition talking about" things blank on the front page. But after that, once we got into Short Answer type stuff, I either knew everything really well, or I was able to take an educated guess. I mean, come on: "The Five W's of..." I can't remember what it was of, but it was some word that made me think, "I'll bet it's Who, What, Where, When, and Why," and it made sense, too. So that's what I put and I explained it and everything, and I'm giving myself an 80% chance that those are the correct "total guess."

Okay, so maybe I'm giving myself too much credit. Maybe I got those totally and completely wrong. But the essay questions were worth the most points, and let's just say that I'm still into A.P. English mode from two years ago. (I was one of the last people in the room because I was spending forever on those essays.) Besides, you get five extra points on the test automatically. (I'm not sure why. Maybe they were a question short or whatever.)

Anyhow, those five extra points are going to that other critique that I kind of sort of didn't do, but I'm also supposed to get bonus points for auditioning for "A Cry of Players" way back when in like September. Yeah, and then I came home and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was waiting for me, all brand-shiny new in a box. Yes, those were the days...

Also I am the only person in the world who did not go to see "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" at midnight last night. But at least I'm running on six hours of sleep, as opposed to fifteen minutes or two hours like everyone else. Man, I kind of miss being able to use smilies like you can in forums...

Anyhow, that's all for now. I've reported on Finals Week 2003. Or, Fall 2003, at least. Now onward to go see if I can get the color swatches, and then onward to work on my Light Plot for the next several hours, and then onward to Christmas Break and then onward to next Semester which is really going to suck, but hey-- I can live with it! Hopefully...

So, until next time... uh... (trying to think of a strange sounding expression...) TURBO!

Final Test 2: MTA 255 Cinematography
Ah yes, I'm back, and I do believe that this is the first time ever that I have written two Blog entries back-to-back, two days in a row. In fact, this is probably the first time I have written twice in one week, now that I think about it. My previous average was about once a month.

Anyhow, It's 4:50 PM, 50 minutes after the start of the text, and I'm here to report on how I think I might have done on the Final Test for MTA 255: Cinematography. Well, I decided to start reading the text-book yesterday, and by early today I was on... oh, about page 80 or so I think. Yeah, there's like 500 pages in the book. Actually I think there's like 600. So I sort of figured I was screwed, and I came to school about an hour earlier than the test actually was to a.) Go to Cards and Copies to make some photocopies for my Lighting project, and b.) Study. (Also I got a Smoothie, which was happy because I guess they are $0.50 off during Finals Week or something.)

Anyhow, then I had about 30 minutes left to the test, and I went to the VCB and sat down and went through my notes. There was a bunch of stuff which triggered a little alarm to go off in my head with, "That looks like test material!" so I especially went over that stuff.

Then it was 4:00, time for the test to begin! I was nervous, I mean, really nervous. I kept telling myself to breathe. The person behind me was like, "I decided in the long run that it doesn't matter how well I do on this test." Another person and me were like, "Okay, maybe in the long, long, deathbed long-run it doesn't matter, but other than that..."

So, the tests were passed out and we started. The first couple of questions weren't that hard. In fact it was stuff that I had come across in my frantic last-minute studying so I was happy. Then it got harder. And then harder. I left a lot of stuff blank to come back to "later." And the things which had caused an alarm in my head to say, "That looks like test material!" really weren't on the test at all except maybe in a couple, "general" type questions. So then I went through the whole test a few times, trying to make educated guesses about all the things which I had skipped.

But anyhow, now to THE GOOD PART and the whole main reason why I was just compelled to come to the Computer Lab and type about this NOW. The GOOD PART was the "Best Final Test Question Ever." It was the very last one and the only one that included something like a short answer. And here's how it went... something like this:

You're filming a scene for a movie. The shot is this: Neo is struggling to get a gun, which is just out of his reach. Neo is about 6 feet from the camera, and the gun is about 4 feet from the camera. Suddenly, Agent Smith steps into the shot behind them. You want do a rack focus from the gun and Neo to Agent Smith, who is about 8 feet away. And you want the depth of field on Agent Smith to be really shallow-- 3 feet or less. Using the chart, describe how you would do it.

Now, as a just plain, normal question, it really isn't that exciting. I mean, it's mostly technical "Let's use the Hyperfocal Focus Chart" stuff. But just the fact that it was THE MATRIX excited me. In fact, there was basically the same question on the mid-term involving a baby and a baby toy, but hey, this one was far more interesting. What can I say, I'm a nerd. Plus, I kept totally envisioning the music that would go along with "this dramatic shot," as the test put it.

So anyway, how did I do on the test? Eh, I'd probably put myself at a B- or so, maybe a B if I get lucky. It wasn't my death, but the Math test was easier. So, that's all for now in the Final Test Department. Well, some kid in front of me is watching Strong Bad e-mails, and they are being reflected in the window, which is why I can see them. But other than that-- my exciting life is over for the moment... uh, at least on the BLOG, that is. Now I must print out my Acting critique thing for "The Christmas Carol" so I can turn it in bright and early tomorrow morning around 8:00 AM and take yet another final test.

So that's right people, you can see me again on the Next Episode of BLOG, it's Final Test 3: MTA 232 Acting!! So stay tuned to see whether or not I shall indeed progress on in the Media and Theater Arts department, or if I'll have to go back to Square One... literally! Until next time, Peace Out!

Final Test 1: Math 150
Well, here I am to briefly report about my experience with my first Final Test of the week: The Math 150 Final. By the way, where I'm from, Math 150 means "Math for Liberal Arts Students," which is essentially a watered-down version of Algebra II combined with some basic Trig. So anyway, the class was... er... a proverbial cake walk. I mean, on the last test I got 100% and I hadn't done any of the homework since the beginning of the semester. (Remember, I had the ACT score to get into Calculus, but I had too many people warning me about it to actually have the guts to do it.)

So today I showed up for the final math test. I got all nervous all of a sudden as I went through the review packet for the hour or so before class doing all the sample problems about finance which I had forgotten about. So then I was sure I had all the finance stuff down. The test was passed out and I did fine on the basic Trig stuff, ("Solve the Triangle") and also on the finance stuff which I had just reviewed.

But then... came the statistics stuff. We had just gone over this stuff like last week so I didn't review it at all. I also hadn't done any of the homework. Well, shame on me. There I sat staring at this problem, wondering why the heck my answer didn't seem to make since. I mean, With only a 80% Confidence Level, you'd think my .028% margin of error that I was getting was a little bit, um, low. So I stared at that problem. I plugged numbers in my calculator. I did all sorts of stuff and I was just making myself more and more confused. So finally I decided just to turn the darn thing in, weird answer or not.

Immediately afterward, I took a look at my notes and review sheet. Now maybe I'm just tired from closing at work last night, but I could swear that I did everything right. So then why in the heck was I getting the weirdest answer in history? Well, I'll find out my score... how I did on this final AND in the class as a whole... in a couple of days. In the meantime I'll be trying to tear myself away from the computer screen or my Game Boy (or the Survivor finale that I recorded and have not yet seen) so I can study for my next test. Yes, that's right... on the next Episode of my Blog, it's...

Final Test 2: MTA 255, Cinematography!!

So tune in for all the latest reports only on... um... the Pikachu Network.

Until then, "Keep it real."

I'm back, for now, anyway! (Matrix Rant)
You know, I always forget that I have this thing up. Not like it matters, no one reads this anyway. But, it's kinda sorta fun... maybe. Whatever.

Any-who, welcome to my "Rant on why THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS is NOT THAT BAD." So it wasn't as good as the first movie, come on, could you really expect the rest of the movies in the series to be as good as the first? There was some serious pressure on the filmmakers.

My second point: Even though the theater didn't have a heater and I was freezing my 'rear' off, the movie still managed to keep me riveted throughout at least the first two hours of the film. I actually, really, truly, felt myself thinking, "I have to believe in Neo now, or he won't do it." I never do that with movies. I'm a film major, for crying out loud, I usually spend my time noticing and commenting on the lighting or depth of field. So kudos to the Wachowski Brothers (or however you spell their name) for being able to do that to ME, the jaded filmmaking student.

As for the ending, it was (for the most part) a perfectly acceptable ending for the trilogy. Did I like it? Not particularly, no. But did it work? In an odd sort of way, yes. I mean, what else could they do?

There were mistakes in the movie, yes. There were problems. But it is not the end of the world, people, I promise. Could the rest of us make a movie even half that decent? Because I know that I sure couldn't.

BOTTOM LINE: The first two and a half hours of the movie had it firmly placed as "Number One" in my list of "Cool Movies." The last half hour caused the film to tumble to maybe fifth place. But hey-- that's still saying an awful lot in my book. So please, people, lay off of "The Matrix Revolutions'" case! I mean, really!!

FINAL GRADES:
"The Matrix": A
"The Matrix Reloaded": B
"The Matrix Revolutions": B+

This decision is final and the grades can not be changed. If you have any problems please take a Chill Pill and eat some Humble Pie. Thank you, and have a nice day. Until next time, this has been a presentation of... whatever alias I'm using on this thing.