« November 2007 | Main | January 2008 »
Well, today was taking the dog and pony show on the road to Northrop Grumman. They had free lunch so it was well attended, and I got to wax philosophic about random digital stuff and show off the work we do at ICT. I love doing this stuff. And no powerpoint...just videos and me tap dancing. I should get a top hat and tails...
A cold day in the desert. I should have been racing, but a failing transmission (and bleeding budget) kept me behind the lense instead of behind the wheel. I agree to make some short promo videos for the club, so today was trying to capture the moment. I really needed to get some standup interviews but I suck at that. I'm great behind the camera, but just lousy at the gregarious gladhanding thing that is required for interviewing people. Luckily I had a sassy boom operator and the footage we got turned out pretty good. I'm sure I'll be able to cut something...just gotta find the time. I'm going to be a busy FCP guy.
Not anything deep with the title...I just thought it was funny. Actually an email from my son's "class mom" saved my butt. He has a field trip tomorrow morning and has to be at school almost an hour earlier than normal. While that sucks for me (having to wake up earlier), it would have sucked more to have shown up at 8am and realized that he missed the field trip and would be stuck doing god-knows-what in some other class room. Thanks, Al!
Well, the deals are almost all done. At least the decisions have been made. Just a few more things to show up on the doorstep and one piece to take back. Oh, and some other things to sell. But in the end I went Danish with the speakers and British with the receiver. And I splurged on the front speakers, but I've been assured by multiple people that I'll be happy for many years. As it stands, even now with the "cheap" Dana 630s up front, I'm pretty awestruck. I've been listening to my new copy of The Last Waltz the last few days, and tonight forsook the visuals and popped in Sketches of Spain. Miles and the Gil Evans Orchestra never sounded so good. I could hear the reeds vibrating and pages being turned. It was so beautiful I was close to tears. I guess this is one reason I work (too) hard. Now I have to dig out all my CDs. mp3 files just won't cut it...
No, not the tv series. Never seen that. Instead the 2002 Jet Li/TonyLeung/Maggie Cheung/Zhang Ziyi film. Highly stylized. Maybe a bit *too* stylized. At any rate, some beautiful moments, and some other interesting bits. There were lots of arrows at least...
The year is screaming towards a conclusion (climax?) and there are myriad loose ends to tie up. Let's see, the short list would be (not in chronological order):
It's only October, right?
I guess I'm sort of borrowing from Shiki-Jitsu but not that much. Deep into week three and nary a visit to the cupboard. Funny what you can do when you decide to do it. And get rid of all the other nonsense dogging your insides. I think I'd like a street taco. How's that for a non sequitor?
I wrote this piece for my racing club's magazine but it didn't end up getting published. Luckily, I can self-publish.
Seeing Green: Returning to Laguna
Everyone has a story. Or so I’ve been told. Mine involves coyotes, Italians, and fiery luck. What does that have to do with a Porsche race? Well, forgive me while I put this in reverse…
The question always is, "real or drama?" With the boy, it is often hard to tell. Funny how he can yammer on his headset mic while playing Gary's Mod (Half-Life 2 variant) but can't eat dinner. Oh, and don't get me started about the "lettuce juice"...
Here are links to some of the videos I showed at the 3Dec07 dog and pony. Any questions/comments, feel free to email me: trichmond@ict.usc.edu.
Note: videos are either Quicktime or mp4 format.
Bits of this have been flitting about my head for some time.
tyger burning bright
such a sight
quickly twitching feet
losing my seat
but maybe it's time
to stand
time and distance
such resistance
to move along and see
what would be
if i just let things
play against the sky
sometimes swinging tides
lick the salt from the rim
a cadillac ranch and dance
dipping deep across the floor
tyger burning tight
made the flight
boarding pass in peril
lined up where all
kids break down
and cry
back to open arms
bet the farm
but venture slowly
beloved lowly
things to see
places to be
looks like pr is at it again...about time
while seated
please fasten hope
to my poor ailing legs
i'll drag it as best i can
i'll try to be the real man
just don't make me beg
sliding down a slope
while seated
i can't run fast
i barely know the way
thought there was a map
i tried to bridge that gap
ran out of things to say
know it can't last
while seated
i'm not flying this
but i can see outside
hazy grid laid out looking
a drunken spider cooking
snacks for a long ride
into the abyss
while seated
A variation on my own private idaho. The site went private (internal) beta. Let the bugs come forth and multiply. And brew another pot of coffee...
Another holiday season, another holiday work party. Pretty painless, although in general I despise holiday parties. This one at FantaSea in the Marina, and Calvin and I in attendance. Thankfully the crew at work is a great group, the wine and food were free, and Calvin got to dance. Not that he liked it or anything. No sir, he was running around like a maniac on the dance floor because he was bored. Yeah, that's it...bored.
In celebration of the end of the semester, a nice dinner at 750ml in South Pasadena. Well, that was the plan anyway. Take one frazzled person (me), add being ignored for 15 minutes after getting seated (in a place with about 15 tables), servers who fawned over certain tables with people they knew (or wanted to impress) while ignoring others (notice a trend?), so-so food (char shouldn't be totally raw in the middle), and you get...well, a suboptimal evening. At least the asst. manager heard me pretty clearly say, "I'll never come back to this dump again." Of course what does he care...after all, I'm nobody.
Nobody...with a blog. heh.
don't go here...it blows. Try Bistro 45 instead. It doesn't suck.
OK, this was a pretty odd movie. We were arguing as to whether it was serious or parody or drugs or insanity. I'm thinking a little from all columns...
Until a month or two ago, I never knew Mt. Washington area existed. Now after many trips to the editor's place and a few parties, it feels like old home week. If circumstances were different, it would be on a short list of places to live. But there are circumstances, and the commute to the Marina would be hellish. So I suppose best just to visit for now...
A long day of work but little accomplished for whatever reason. Running to the editor, messing with code, and watching the boy as he's out of school for winter break. After screen time ran out, it was a short game of axis and allies. He makes up his own rules all the time and I just try to follow along. Interestingly enough, tonight I "won." And he didn't get upset or change the rules or anything. It was a brief game, but there we were sitting on the floor moving pieces around and he says, "so this is special family time, huh?"
Indeed it is.
The big moment...the new site going live. Working from home everything looks good so the switch gets flipped by IT. I send out the email to everyone at work. And within a minute get a reply..."can't see it." Then my boss says, "link doesn't work." Turns out there was a config issue so anyone inside the building couldn't see the site. Arrghh. Not that I look like a MORON or anything. Luckily the issue gets sorted within a few minutes and I send out the follow up email. Then another shitstorm about personal site links being broken. The rest of the afternoon/evening/night is spent stepping and fetching, fixing things and sending emails back and forth.
I like this, right?
More development work. Sorting more content, finding bugs, retooling stuff. Have to wait to do some things until backend stuff gets done. It'll all get done. Might kill me or someone else, but it'll get done. Ha!
Ahh, the end of the work week. Well, for everyone else at work it is. Our ED, in his infinite wisdom, shut down the place at 5pm today so that we extend our holiday. Don't have to be back in the office until 2Jan08. But of course the interwebs never sleeps and there is still stuff to be done on the site. And so it goes...maybe Friday will turn out to be Friday. Or Saturday. Or not. Whatever.
Well, Ratatoiulle that is. The movie, not the dish. Kids night tonight and watching Pixar stuff on the big screen. And pizza. Wine for the adults. Could be worse. Quite a beautiful film actually, lots of warm colors. The "cinematography" was quite rich...originally what drew me to it in the first place. Well, that and I like everything Pixar does. Even "Cars," although it seems I'm in the minority there.
An excursion back to the beginning, or at least near the beginning of the Coen Brothers catalog. Interesting that there are certain things you'll always find. Odd characters, odd violence (the knife in the hand was a nice touch) and the opening shot low on the pavement.
Funny that the pace was much more like No Country than say, Barton Fink. Maybe they are just coming full circle. And what's up with one of them directing and the other producing? Do they play rock/paper/scissors to pick that?
I have no idea what that means. The randomizer is in full swing and I'm at the mercy of a stiff north wind. Tack 1, pearl 2, fly 3. Or perl. Funny, but in this context that has a different, although perhaps appropriate, meaning. Perl. Over the falls. Wipeout. Snares drums aside, it ain't no scripting language. Is it scary that I make that distinction? No, after all I'm a technocrat. Or technopublican. Technoterian? No, too close to scientology.
Uh oh, I just made someone's list. Who do you think owns google, anyway? That's right...movementarians, that's who. Time to get that pedalcraft off the ground. Only make sure the sheet doesn't fly off. I really like the Zamfir flute though. A nice touch that you don't really see every day. If only. If only there was an infomercial. For Zemfir-esque flutabrian mad skills. Hmm, you think that would sell in Iowa?
Umberto. Mr. Eco. No wait, Dr. Eco. Yeah, his mom always liked it when she heard that. Too bad she wasn't around for this round. Or maybe it wasn't bad. After all, to every season, turn and burn. Umberto paused and looked for something to mop his glistening brow. It didn't used to be like this. The weather or his head. But these aren't like old times. They're barely midevil times.
"Dr. Eco, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Sally Gredenko. But my friend's call me Giselle. Well, when they're stuffing dollar bills down my pants."
"Ms. Gredenko, I'll ask you again to stop with the risque entendres and delightful recusement. I need a pen.Do you happen to have one stuff down your pants?"
Umberto was feeling at once emboldened and languid. It was more than he could bear, given his delicate state of affairs. As if that were the only issue at play. No, this was about something much more visceral. Like a gut-shot fawn, he fell backwards and stared at the ceiling, gurgling imperceptibly and huffing like a made man.
Feliz Navidad from Punta Bunda, just a ways from La Bufadora. A non-traditional xmas it is. More pics later but dial up is a pita...
Time for something different. Strange that I grew up a stone's throw from Mexico but essentially never visited, save a quick 2 hours jaunt to get some lobster tacos some 25 years or so ago. But different times mean different means and different measures. A vacant house in Punta Bunda, food and bikes in the truck, and away we go. Comida China anyone?
xmas amongst the natives. Not many gringos on the plaza today, save the one guy clearly relieved to see me so he could ask where the blowhole was. "no habla ingles."
Ahh, the draw of two wheels. I missed my Moots more than I knew. Of course nice to be able to roll out of the front door and onto open trails within minutes. Somewhat like the days in Claremont and Pasadena. Oh well, the westside has its advantages, right? Right?!?
Random bits and I don't remember what they are as I'm somewhat timeshifted between shooting and posting. Now more sunscreen and Moots.
Not necessarily in that order. More shots of a random nature from Punta Bunda and points beyond. The tacos are from Tacos Poblano in Maneadero. Took awhile to find but worth the search. The rest are right outside the door...if you look.
Quite the hike down, but despite some cactus bites, certainly worth the trip.
No, not my favorite commercial, but big bubbles on the beach in baja.
7 hours for a 4-5 hour drive. Something about the border crossing. And policia in Tijuana trying to force us into the wrong lane (for the second time). Always good to have a mexican cop running after you and smacking his fist on the side of the truck. Sweet. Figured a way around it (much to their chagrin), then settle in for 2+ hours to travel about 1.5 miles. Literally. My right leg is killing me. The good news is arrival back just minutes before 7pm in time to get a mocha at Peets. Whew!
Reality sets in, but thankfully not fully yet. Still avoiding work (mostly) and doing some last minute shopping bits. A few errands, some cleaning, and catching up on all the various happenings of my online communities. Always more stuff to learn and fiddle with. Work will rear its ugly head soon enough (a bunch of video projects to finish and start, and of course the web site stuff), but for now just chilling with the new mexican blanket, looking forward to a nice dinner new year's eve, then '08.
No big end-of-year wrap-up. No words of deep profundity. '07 came and went. Perhaps the most interesting of the last 46, but they're all interesting in their own way. It closed quietly and sweetly, flames lapping at pine. '08 will open how it opens. The boy is asleep, I'll be soon to follow, and time marches on in its usual analog fashion. Now if I can just solve the pcm handshake issue with the receiver...
This page contains all entries posted to nostatic at all... in December 2007. They are listed from oldest to newest.
November 2007 is the previous archive.
January 2008 is the next archive.
Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
