Weblog Archive: December 2002 to December 2003
Welcome
December 18th, 2003
Hello and welcome to my personal site. You are now reading my blog, which automatically makes you cool.
Graduation draws steadily nearer. It is now just hours away. I will soon have a second degree, to complement my degree in English from St. John's University. The first one didn't get me too far; let's hope the second one is more useful. I certainly feel like I learned a lot; more than I thought I would, really. I still feel there's a lot to learn. You can never really stop and say, "Okay, enough learning; I'm done." Especially not in this field. Multimedia and Web Design changes so fast that my degree is probably obsolete and it's not even in hand yet. Still, I hope to get a good job with it and then expand and refine my skills over the years. I guess I'm feeling pretty optimistic. I was feeling pretty damn "excited" earlier. Wow. You never know what the future holds.
Oh, and for those who are interested, I have updated the Photos section with some new images...and you can actually click on the thumbnails to see a larger version!! Wow! I really spared no effort for you guys. Christmas is coming, so please get me that special gift that really says you care: ca$h.
We are Live folks...
December 13th, 2003
This thing is finally online, live and open to the public. No pushing please; come one, come all. Ain't it beautiful folks? Ain't the internet grand? So long as it works and doesn't enslave us to it, I suppose. But that's a question for another day. Today is the day I'm getting all my loose ends tied up and preparing for graduation, which is on the 19th, if you're interested.
It's over
December 13th, 2003
Well, I got through it. I handed in my final stuff for Adv. Image Manip and my portfolio class. Looks like I've got a little more time for portfolio stuff, so I'll work my ass off tomorrow (Sunday) as well. I took today off - from schoolwork. I jammed with Matt and Ben for hours today. We had a pretty good practice. Matt and I laid down a few tracks. Nothing outstanding, but at least we've got a version of Én Fuego on "tape" now. Actually, it's on my computer, which desperately needs to be backed up so I can install 10.3 from scratch and not mess around with this shit. I'm currently downloading the latest patch for ProTools because it does not work with 10.3.1. I really need a new hard drive. A nice 120 gigger would do me wonders. Anytime you deal with audio or video, you need a shitload of freespace, no matter what. It's just the way it is.
Right now I've got one book on my mind, and it's calling to me like a wolf in the night. Actually, it's the new Stephen King book, Wolves of the Calla. It's the 5th Dark Tower book, and it's quite good. If you've ever seen Seven Samurai you know the story, but it gets pretty deep into the characters and setting of the Dark Tower realm so you don't even notice it, mostly. It's easy and fun reading and I'm almost done. I've got like 60 pages to go; it's the final showdown. I think I might have to leave you all and go read it.
Judgment Day
December 10th, 2003
It's Judgment Day. No, not that one; get back here. All the prayers in the world won't stop this one. I have to present my final portfolio tomorrow. When I say "tomorrow" I mean: in about 12 hours. There's very little time left, and I'm tired as shit. I don't have the fire that I'll need to complete this project, which is why I'm writing in this 'blog. Wish me luck, although you won't read this until it's all over and done with since this page isn't online yet. It will be once I get done with Priority Numero Uno.
I just wanted to mention that I hate Flash. I'm tired, drained, distracted and feeling hopelessness, not the gung-ho determination I was hoping for. I might have to pull an all-nighter, but then again, maybe it's not worth it. D's get Degrees, they say. But I think in this case I need a C. Anyway, I've already lost 10% of my final grade because I didn't manage to apply for 3 field-related jobs with the approval of my career counselor in time. Silly me, I was working my ass off, trying to graduate. Every waking moment for the past two weeks has been spent either working, at school or doing homework. Since I only work 4 hours a day and only go to school for 4 hours twice a week that's a shitload of homework. I think my friends are suspicious that I'm ditching them or something. They've never seen me work this hard before. Shit, I never have worked this hard before.
I guess you could say I slacked the first part of the quarter, but I had other things on my mind, such as the fact that I had no job and my bank account had less than $100 in it. So that was foremost in my mind, and then when I finally got a job a week into the quarter, I focused much of my energy on that since it was pretty demanding at first. Now that I know the ropes it doesn't take as much energy, but initially, I must say it sapped my strength. This is why I hate working and going to school at the same time. I don't like having to fluctuate between priorities like that, and work takes up a lot more time than the 4 hours I get paid for. There's getting ready for work time, there's commute time (half hour each way) and winding down from work time. I'd say it takes 6 hours out of my day. That really eats into my homework time. I'd almost rather work 8 hours and lose only a fifth of my time to pre & post work stuff. That's the dirty secret of the 40 hour work week, folks; it takes up about 10 hours a day even if we only get paid for 8.
Still, I got through this crap and I can hardly complain, since it's nice to have any relatively secure job (as secure as temp job can be) in this economy. Anyway, it looks like I will pass my independent study class, which is Advanced Image Manipulation. It's weird; there's no class time, just homework, which is to say projects. This website was one. My prof didn't seem to like it much, but I didn't design it for him, I did it for me. I have to look at the damn thing for the next few years, or however long it lasts before I inevitably redesign it. I think he's right; the rollovers are a bit weak, and I plan to change them, but I've decided against Flash buttons because not enough people have Flash installed on their system. And, as I said, I hate Flash. Still, there's nothing else like it. Oh well, I've slacked enough. It's time to jump back into Flash and finish my freakin' portfolio, if possible. I just hope I get it done in time. Thank God for DJ Shadow.
Alternate Realities
December 8th, 2003
I just had a story idea wherein Tom Selleck rules the entertainment universe. I pictured myself waking up in an alternate universe; one in which Tom Selleck decided to do the original Indiana Jones movie, and thus, Harrison Ford was never offered the role. This sets forth a chain of events which complete alters the world. Bill Clinton never becomes president, the Terminator never gets made, and thus Arnold Schwartzenegger never rises beyond Conan: The Barbarian and into superstardom. He never becomes governor either, obviously. Initially, the changes are limited to Hollywood, but they spread out like a virus, inexorably changing our world completely.
What do you think? Too cheesy? Well, duh. The idea of Tom Selleck playing the role of Indiana Jones is cheesy, but that didn't stop Spielberg and Lucas from offering him the role. What were they thinking?! What was he thinking?! I mean, come on, if Steven Spielbergo (his non-union, Mexican equivalent) offered me the role of "Guy Who Gets Hit With a Bat in Every Scene (for real)" I'd take it! This goes along with Will Smith getting offered the role of "Neo" in the Matrix. I like Will Smith, but that would've completely changed the tone of the film. Yes, I've seen Will Smith in Six Degrees of Separation and it seems he can act (better than Keanu, many would say), but he's always so damn chipper. I like Keanu's brooding, even boring, take on Neo. He made for a good computer hacker in the first one. As for the 2nd & 3rd movies, well, I don't agree with the direction they took, but it's too late to complain now.
Personally, I thought it should've been more about freeing the people stuck in the Matrix, not this "save Zion" crap. Who cares?! Talk about a stupid plot idea. It must've taken them, what, 0.3 seconds to come up with that one? The idea of mentally and physically freeing millions of people from the Matrix is a much more complex one. It would've been much more difficult to write and film, but ultimately, it would've been more rewarding, I think. They could have still included many of the new characters, like the Merovingian, but in a different way. That said, the movies weren't bad, and were even kind of thought-provoking (kind of), but in no way did they measure up to the first movie.
Back from Nowhere
December 7th, 2003
As you can see below, I took an extended break from my blog. I'm aiming to start it back up again, and on a new, improved website. This one will actually be hosted on timoregan.com, unlike the earlier stuff, which was just on the school's server. Hopefully, I will keep it going this time and you will be able to peer into the depths of my weirdness...if you're into that sort of thing.
March 26th, 2003
Just a quick update, as I'm swamped in homework. I have to finish 2 websites today. Damn right, that ain't easy. Luckily, I'm just about done with one of them. It's something close to my heart - the Trees Eat People Home Page is now in effect. I redid the whole damn thing from the ground up, and I must say that it humiliates the hell out of the old version. Of course, I did the old version without Dreamweaver, coding in straight HTML when I was just learning how to code. Now I know a lot more, so it should be cooler.
Next, I'm about to tackle The Center for Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment website. Yeah, say that 10 times fast. Anyway, I've had the basics done for awhile now. It's gonna be fairly straightforward - add content and make sure everything works. Of course, I'm considering adding pop-up buttons to a page. Man, that's probably not a good idea at this point. I do want to test them out eventually, but this might not be the right time since I'm right in the middle of FINALS!!! Aaaaaaiiiiiiggghhhh!!!!
Oh man, I'm gonna crash and burn on my Scripting assignment. There's not enough time in the day, and I don't have the programming experience, knowledge or "touch" to do my Asteroids game properly. I'm gonna have to do my best, but it's obviously going to fall short of my hopes. Flash can be a bitch whether you're coding or tweening. Anyway. I'll try to check back in later. For now, stay fresh, y'all.
March 20th, 2003
Well, I'm back. I just got back from the big protest here in Minneapolis. It was quite an amazing event. I'm not sure if I like protesting or not. When I was done marching (I figure I walked at least 5 miles today) I was sore, exhausted, starving, freezing cold and just basically spent. You know I'd do it even if all I got was aches and pains because I think it's my patriotic duty to let the government know when they're being stupid and/or oppressive fucks. But guess what - I loved it. Despite the miserable weather (it was overcast, cold, and it rained sporadically - but hey, this is Minnesota!) and despite the obvious sadness of the start of a war, I got this incredible vibe from the crowd. People were amazingly happy, once we got together and got going. Our spirits rose as we started acting in unison. It's very comforting to know you're not alone in fighting this madness.
I suppose you want to see some pictures from this event. I guess I'll let you do just that. Click here to check'em out.
Can you believe that my right arm is actually sore from giving the peace sign so many times? Wow, man. :-) I feel like I've done my duty. It wasn't easy, but it was fun. Until next time...
March 12th, 2003
I'm sorry about yet another long pause between updates. See the excuses below; they're still valid. But I'm still into this blogging thing, if not moreso. I have some views about the coming war in Iraq that I would like to air. I feel the way many do; that this war is completely unjustified.
Hey, I'm not saying we shouldn't take out Saddam - we should. But is a full-scale land invasion really necessary? I think not. I would very much like to see his people free of his ruthless tyranny. However, I was not born yesterday, and I don't believe that Bush really has the concerns of the Iraqi people as his first priority. He's clearly after oil and regional influence. The Saudis have proven to be unreliable and they aren't pumping oil like some would like. The Bush team wanted to go into Iraq back in 1997, and the 9/11 tragedy provided them with the perfect cover.
And that's another thing. I haven't seen any conclusive proof of any ties between Al Queda and Saddam's crew. I mean, yes, they have lots of things in common; they're from the Mid-East and they hate America, but that's where the similarities end. You have to understand - Saddam is a secular leader. He has started invoking Allah only recently, as he got desperate during the First Gulf War. He's fooling no one in the Islamic world; they all know he is a secular socialist tyrant. Religion - the last refuge of a scoundrel. Osama, on the other hand, is a zealot. He has no use for secular Arab leaders. He only likes theocracies like the Taliban's Afghanistan. Iran would be another example, but I believe they are Shi'ite Muslims, as opposed to Sunnis like most Muslims. Anyway, if Osama and Saddam are bosom buddies, it's only because we pushed them together by ostracizing the both of them. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and all that.
For more information, check out the my revolution site. I also have an art site up, which I just finished creating. Until next time, peace!
Feb. 14th, 2003
Man, it's been awhile. I've been way busy at school. They're really piling it on. But I still managed to create a new website. It's another quicky, but it's just to get something up so we have something to build off of. Mike and I talked about it last night while in the Starcraft chatroom. We decided to divvy up tasks and do something for a change. Coolness, yes? Anyway, Mike's gonna make flyers and I'll work on the site in my freetime, if I have any :) If you want to check it out, click here.
Jan. 20th, 2003
Well, I'm finally starting to update this website a bit. The links have been changed a bit. There's a lot of new ones, too. I included a link to my new webpage, which is for my band, Trees Eat People. Check it out. It's all being hand coded, unlike this page. :-) I think I'm getting the hang of HTML, although Dreamweaver does things a bit differently.
I finally exchanged my camera for a new and cooler one. I got the HP812 for Christmas, but I decided I wanted something a bit smaller, so I upgraded to the Canon s230 digital elph. It's a pimp camera, man. It's got all the features I wanted, including long exposures (up to 15 seconds!). Needless to say, I've already been taking advantage of that feature; it resulted in one of the best pictures I've ever taken. I'll put it, and some others up eventually, but don't hold your breath. I'd have to completely redo the menu bars above in order to fit in an "Art" tab. I'm thinking about whether I should add anything else before I commit. For now, I have a shitload of homework, including making some animated GIFs and some crazy buttons in Director. This is gonna be a busy quarter...
Jan. 14th, 2003
What's up, y'all. I'm back at it after a nice long winter break. Of course, my work is never done; I'm in school right now working on improving my mad HTML coding skillz. Since I have none, this shouldn't be too tricky. Yeah, the web looks different when viewed in raw code, but it's somewhat like the Matrix, I guess.
Anyway, X-mas break was rather exciting, but nothing too amazing. I got too drunk on New Years Eve and I spent all of New Years Day in bed or puking. That sucked. I think I might've had a stomach flu because it was like no hangover I've ever experienced.
In other news, it was great that Matt and Niki came back for a brief spat of Christmas-time fun. We got some partying and some jamming in. I can't wait to mix it, but I'm waiting for ProTools 6 for OS X. I can't stand to boot into OS 9 anymore. I'm still working on the cover for our older jam sessions, too. I'm getting some good Photoshop practice, I think. I need more images, tho. I've got much of the interior done. Now, all that remains is the front cover. I've been waiting for inspiration to strike. I know it will have something to do with the Fibonacci series...
Dec. 20th, 2002
Hey hey kids! Krusty the Tim here! I just finished up my second-to-last final. This very webpage is the last one. I'm currently adding that cool blue navbar that you see above this text. It should take you where ever you want to go....in style.
I actually got 100% in my last class, Network Infrastructures; as in, I didn't miss a single point all quarter (the prof graded the tests in class). Actually, I missed a few, but I made up for them with a few extra credit points. That class was cool, and I learned a lot. I also handed in my Pollock painting (still sore). I think I got an A in art history, too. I dunno how I did it - it was a 7 o'clock class!!! It was forged in the fiery pits of Mordor. Speaking of that, I saw LOTR: Two Towers two nights ago. It was quite good. A solid sequel (although it's really more of a continuation), and quite fun to watch. They changed quite a few things from the book - I was surprised to find that they saved Shelob's lair for the third movie. It's just as well, but it would've made for a great cliffhanger. Now I can't wait for that 3rd movie!
Dec. 17th, 2002
Okay, I'm back at it, y'all. I can't believe I'm sore from painting. How does that even happen? Well, it might have something to do with painting in Jackson Pollock's style, which is surprisingly physical. My back and arms are sore from attacking the canvas with my brush; using the paint as a projectile because it's no bueno to actually touch the canvas when you're doing splatter/drip painting style.
In other news, Finals Week is in full swing, but I think I'm ahead of things. I've still got a shitload of work to do for my Typography class, in which the final project is due Thursday. If you remember what comes out on Wednesday, you see my dilemma. Hell, I've got tickets already. Yep, Lord of the Rings, baby - so I'd better get that project done ahead of time or I'm gonna be up awfully late. I'm getting tired of those late night Kinko's runs.
Dec. 13th, 2002
Welcome back for my latest (second, really) blog. Not too much going on, except a little thing called.... FINALS!!! Aaaiiiieeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! Yes, they are in full effect, even though next week is officially Finals Week I've already got a shitload to do. This website included. Luckily, I think my Flash movie is done, so that is now up and ready for your viewing pleasure. This site is now officially on the web.
Dec. 10th, 2002
Hey, I'm Tim and this is the first entry in my stupendous weblog (or "blog" if you're cool). Check back constantly (obsessively, if you like) for more updates and juicy tidbits about all the celebrity servants I've slept with....uh yeah.
