Watch, please:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzMLY6AWtOk
I finally learned how to do a lightsaber video - I've wanted to make one since forever. Lucky Mather was kind enough to embarrass himself for me. We filmed right off of Redwood Road near my parents' house. Special effects were done on After Effects, and as you can tell from the video, we had entirely too much fun. Of course, we filmed more than this one scene. It just takes a long time to do lightsabers...someday I will do part 2, but it may be a while from now. Part 1 is the best anyway.
Here's to embracing your inner teenager and making a lightsaber video!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Goodbye, dearest Freddie
On Sunday, July 24, 2011, Freddie the Frog was found dead in his water bowl. The cause of death remains unknown, though he was found in a suspiciously tight nook of the bowl, between his decorative rock and the glass. This brings to mind a few causes of death, the most troubling being the potentiality of suicide. It's very possible that Fred was an old frog, ready to move on. I'm not sure exactly what the life expectancy of his species is. However, if it was suicide, I feel awful that Freddie would no longer want to continue his life, especially since I tried to make his earthly stay as comfortable as possible. Perhaps his minuscule brain could no longer take the mundane lifestyle. We shall never know.
Fred is survived by his buddy Ricky the Frog, who has now taken entirely to hiding underneath the decorative rock, as if he is searching for his lost friend. I fear I may find him in a similar condition as Fred any day now. Hold on, Ricky!
Rest in peace, little Freddie. Rest in peace.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
I am a Gleek
I discovered Glee this week. My mom and I watched the entire first season on Netflix as I did some video editing. I love it. And I now have a major crush on the Glee advisor, Will Schuester. Predictable, I know, but hey - I am who I am. The music is wonderful, and I find that though the subject matter is at times a little more risque than I normally enjoy, they treat that subject matter in a very moral way. I guess it's a moral look at immorality. I find myself very attached to the characters and I can't wait to see the second season, though I hear from reviews and such that it's not quite as good as the first. We'll see. I am glad to have found a new TV show to follow while I wait for the next seasons of Bones and Doctor Who.
Voldemort is vanquished at last!
I have seen Harry Potter 7 Part 2 three times now, ha ha. And it's only been out for little more than a week. I absolutely love it. I think it's my favorite movie of them all. Normally I'm a little disappointed in how different the movie is from the book, but I haven't read HP7 in a couple of years so it all seemed fresh as I watched it. What a brilliant series of books and movies. Man, I love it. Each time I saw the movie something different made me cry. The first viewing brought tears with the battle - seeing the Professors all defending the castle and then seeing beloved characters dead. That hurt. The second time, I cried after the battle when Harry, Ron, and Hermione were finally free to live normal lives. The prologue did make me tear up this time. The third time I cried during the entire prologue, but for a different reason. As childish as it may seem, I saw the Hogwarts Express and felt the strongest desire to be on that train, heading off to Hogwarts. And then I watched the train leave without me. That was, perhaps, the biggest sting of all. But I still love it. And I love that I love it so much. It's nerdy and childish and completely me.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Dear Harry,
I met you when I was about 8 years old. We were one of the lucky few that heard about your books before they were a sensation in the US. My brother Josh and I adored them. I could literally feel the magic of your story seeping off the pages of my 1st edition copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I wanted so badly to be a witch and to go away to Hogwarts. It didn't matter that I didn't get a letter of acceptance - I already felt so much a part of your world.
I feel so privileged to be part of the Harry Potter Generation. My life seemed to mirror yours as each new book or movie came out. I was 11 years old (1st year age) when you headed off to Hogwarts in your first movie. I received my AP test scores literally the same day I read about you receiving your OWLS. I stayed up late reading about you - I went at midnight to pick up your books and to see your movies, determined to keep my place at the front of the line of HP fandom where I began. Every late night, every page, every second I have absolutely adored.
And now it is all coming to an end. It seems funny to me that this thing that has united so much of my childhood and adolescence is coming to an end as I move on from college out into the real world. I've watched you grow up, Harry, and I've grown up with you. I can't help but feel sad that my nieces, my nephews, and my own children will never grow up waiting for the next Harry Potter installment. They won't get to feel the excitement of opening one of your books for the first time before anyone else in the perceivable world has read it. They'll already know how your story ends when they begin it. That won't stop me from trying to create the same magic for them, though. Because guess what I've learned? Even though people tell me I need to grow up, get a job, move on, etc, part of me will always be a child. And that child will always be in love with the magical world of Harry Potter.
So here's to you, my old friend. Here's to a wonderful journey - thanks for letting me tag along. Now go kick some Dark Lord booty!
I feel so privileged to be part of the Harry Potter Generation. My life seemed to mirror yours as each new book or movie came out. I was 11 years old (1st year age) when you headed off to Hogwarts in your first movie. I received my AP test scores literally the same day I read about you receiving your OWLS. I stayed up late reading about you - I went at midnight to pick up your books and to see your movies, determined to keep my place at the front of the line of HP fandom where I began. Every late night, every page, every second I have absolutely adored.
And now it is all coming to an end. It seems funny to me that this thing that has united so much of my childhood and adolescence is coming to an end as I move on from college out into the real world. I've watched you grow up, Harry, and I've grown up with you. I can't help but feel sad that my nieces, my nephews, and my own children will never grow up waiting for the next Harry Potter installment. They won't get to feel the excitement of opening one of your books for the first time before anyone else in the perceivable world has read it. They'll already know how your story ends when they begin it. That won't stop me from trying to create the same magic for them, though. Because guess what I've learned? Even though people tell me I need to grow up, get a job, move on, etc, part of me will always be a child. And that child will always be in love with the magical world of Harry Potter.
So here's to you, my old friend. Here's to a wonderful journey - thanks for letting me tag along. Now go kick some Dark Lord booty!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Kitty Nextdoor
Our next door neighbor's cat just had kittens a couple of weeks ago. I'm allergic to cats so I've never thought about having one as a pet or really even wanted one - they make my eyes itch somethin' awful. But, kittens are ADORABLE. And it turns out that having kittens next door is almost like having my own kitten except my eyes don't itch - perfect solution. The neighbors leave their garage partially open so the kittens can get out and play. They've found a hole that leads under their driveway and they crawl around down there all the time. There is one kitten in particular that I am rather attached to, and who, if my feelings are correct, returns the adoration. Here's the story:
One lovely summer morning at 5:00am, my dad and I were walking down to the neighborhood clubhouse to do our P90X when my dad found himself almost stepping on something - a small, black kitten with white paws and a white chest. The kitten was mewing in fear, obviously far away from it's home all the way up the street. It's curiosity had gotten it quite lost. It kept putting itself under our feet and followed us into the clubhouse. I put him (honestly, it could be a girl. But I have always assumed animals are boys until I learn otherwise. Maybe it's having all brothers? I dunno...) I put him back outside, feeling rather sad and hoping he wouldn't wander off and end up road kill somewhere (there's an excessive amount of road kill out here in Saratoga Springs).
For the first 10 minutes of our workout I could hear him mewing outside, but then he seemed to wander off. I became worried until we went outside and there he was, peeking his little face out from under a minivan in the clubhouse parking lot. As we walked home he followed us part of the way, but then he became scared again and hid under a car. My dad kept walking, telling me he would make it home eventually. I didn't feel so sure about that - rumors of the cougars that roam the area were running through my mind. I tried to get the kitten to follow, but had to resort to picking him up. He alternated between freaking out and purring as we walked up the street. He didn't understand why I was taking him with me until we arrived at his house. Then I could see the little wheels in head turning - I'm home! he was thinking. This girl saved me! I put him down on the ground and he sprinted gleefully for the hole to their little burrow. I felt heroic, but I wasn't sure he would remember me.
The next morning, however, there he was, at 5:00am, waiting for me outside his house to say hello! He came up to me and let me pet him and scratch behind his ears. He is there almost every morning now. His siblings have begun coming to meet me too. There are four of them, I believe - at least four that I've seen. But my little buddy is the first to run over to me. Now they like to climb up in the under parts of my truck and hang out. My kitty buddy has definitely been one of the simple yet favorite highlights of the summer.
One lovely summer morning at 5:00am, my dad and I were walking down to the neighborhood clubhouse to do our P90X when my dad found himself almost stepping on something - a small, black kitten with white paws and a white chest. The kitten was mewing in fear, obviously far away from it's home all the way up the street. It's curiosity had gotten it quite lost. It kept putting itself under our feet and followed us into the clubhouse. I put him (honestly, it could be a girl. But I have always assumed animals are boys until I learn otherwise. Maybe it's having all brothers? I dunno...) I put him back outside, feeling rather sad and hoping he wouldn't wander off and end up road kill somewhere (there's an excessive amount of road kill out here in Saratoga Springs).
For the first 10 minutes of our workout I could hear him mewing outside, but then he seemed to wander off. I became worried until we went outside and there he was, peeking his little face out from under a minivan in the clubhouse parking lot. As we walked home he followed us part of the way, but then he became scared again and hid under a car. My dad kept walking, telling me he would make it home eventually. I didn't feel so sure about that - rumors of the cougars that roam the area were running through my mind. I tried to get the kitten to follow, but had to resort to picking him up. He alternated between freaking out and purring as we walked up the street. He didn't understand why I was taking him with me until we arrived at his house. Then I could see the little wheels in head turning - I'm home! he was thinking. This girl saved me! I put him down on the ground and he sprinted gleefully for the hole to their little burrow. I felt heroic, but I wasn't sure he would remember me. 
The next morning, however, there he was, at 5:00am, waiting for me outside his house to say hello! He came up to me and let me pet him and scratch behind his ears. He is there almost every morning now. His siblings have begun coming to meet me too. There are four of them, I believe - at least four that I've seen. But my little buddy is the first to run over to me. Now they like to climb up in the under parts of my truck and hang out. My kitty buddy has definitely been one of the simple yet favorite highlights of the summer.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Happy 4th of July!
I love the 4th of July. Mostly I love it because of the atmosphere of Sugar House, where I grew up. It feels like the 4th in the movie Sandlot. Suburbia, fireworks, barbecue, baseball, summer magic. Out in Saratoga Springs it's not so much that way. So my parents and I headed into Salt Lake for the fireworks at Sugar House and a movie beforehand. 
We saw Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. It was a mostly enjoyable popcorn movie with incredible special effects. Man, that is an expensive movie. The number of digital artists working on it seemed to outnumber those working on a Pixar film, which is entirely digital. I felt a strange sense of nostalgia sweep through me as I watched Optimus Prime transform into and out of his truck form, like I was a 12 year old boy again (which is funny because I've never actually been a 12 year old boy...). However fun the movie was, here are the problems with it:
1. Leonard Nimoy, as the voice of Septimus Prime, quotes Spock in the movie. Really, people?
2. Optimus Prime was turned into a blood-thirsty, vengeance-seeking dirtbag. They took away the one perfectly redeemable character of the series. After ripping out Megatron's spinal cord in a vicious frenzy, he spouts off some line about wanting peace. Bologna.
3. The romance. I have never like the Transformers love stories, with the exception of bits in the first one because they were funny. I really disliked Megan Fox, and the new girl, though slightly better, still exudes a "I'm really hot but have no brains" quality. She's cute in it though. And man, skinny jeans really work for her. I wish I looked like that in my skinny jeans.
4. The Decepticons. As voiced by one of the characters in the movie, why do the Decepticons get all the good stuff? Though many of them are cool, I had issues with the giant worm one. As I read somewhere, it really is just metal in a blender every time it comes on screen. Over and over, grinding metal. It is sweet when Optimus takes it out though.
So see it, by all means, if you want a straightforward, futurist action movie with lots of flash and bang but no heart. I really did enjoy the time I spent watching it - all the above problems were mostly laughable, except the Optimus Prime thing. I really am upset at Michael Bay and his team for turning Optimus into a jerk. But it was fun, about exactly the movie I thought it would be.
Anyway...
Fireworks were fun! We ran into some old friends and I took some sweet pictures with my gorgeous camera. Man I love my camera. Good stuff. Lucky Mather, the wonderful person that he is, let us park in front of his house, so our exit was rather smooth. It was a very fun day. Happy Birthday, America!
We saw Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. It was a mostly enjoyable popcorn movie with incredible special effects. Man, that is an expensive movie. The number of digital artists working on it seemed to outnumber those working on a Pixar film, which is entirely digital. I felt a strange sense of nostalgia sweep through me as I watched Optimus Prime transform into and out of his truck form, like I was a 12 year old boy again (which is funny because I've never actually been a 12 year old boy...). However fun the movie was, here are the problems with it:1. Leonard Nimoy, as the voice of Septimus Prime, quotes Spock in the movie. Really, people?
2. Optimus Prime was turned into a blood-thirsty, vengeance-seeking dirtbag. They took away the one perfectly redeemable character of the series. After ripping out Megatron's spinal cord in a vicious frenzy, he spouts off some line about wanting peace. Bologna.
3. The romance. I have never like the Transformers love stories, with the exception of bits in the first one because they were funny. I really disliked Megan Fox, and the new girl, though slightly better, still exudes a "I'm really hot but have no brains" quality. She's cute in it though. And man, skinny jeans really work for her. I wish I looked like that in my skinny jeans.
4. The Decepticons. As voiced by one of the characters in the movie, why do the Decepticons get all the good stuff? Though many of them are cool, I had issues with the giant worm one. As I read somewhere, it really is just metal in a blender every time it comes on screen. Over and over, grinding metal. It is sweet when Optimus takes it out though.
So see it, by all means, if you want a straightforward, futurist action movie with lots of flash and bang but no heart. I really did enjoy the time I spent watching it - all the above problems were mostly laughable, except the Optimus Prime thing. I really am upset at Michael Bay and his team for turning Optimus into a jerk. But it was fun, about exactly the movie I thought it would be. Anyway...
Fireworks were fun! We ran into some old friends and I took some sweet pictures with my gorgeous camera. Man I love my camera. Good stuff. Lucky Mather, the wonderful person that he is, let us park in front of his house, so our exit was rather smooth. It was a very fun day. Happy Birthday, America!
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