D'oh... I was hoping that the debate would help me confirm who I wanted to vote for (Kerry), but now I'm more confused than ever. Bush is making some actual sense, for once. It's not like in 2000 when (in my opinion) Gore totally smoked him in the first debate, he's actually defending his prior actions fairly admirably, and pointing out a lot of Kerry's inconsistancies. But Kerry himself is pointing out a lot of Bush's problems. Neither of them stands out as a great prospect to me.

Oh well.... I guess it's a bitter sort of comfort, but I know my vote, despite what they tell everyone, doesn't matter at all. Kerry's going to win our state no matter what, the Democratic candidate always wins Illinois.

I don't get many things right the first time
in fact, I am told that a lot

--"The Luckiest," Ben Folds

It's weird, a couple weeks ago one of my profs saw me with my headphones on and all started asking me what I was listening to, and it turned out to be Jimmy Eat World. Today, he did it again, and it was New Found Glory. And he's all, "What was the one from before again?" and I had to be like, "Jimmy Eat World."

Anyway, I think I must be totally hip in the eyes of my fellow classmates now, because someone overheard us talking about Jimmy Eat World, and it started this bizarrely enthusiastic whirlwind of conversation about Jimmy Eat World throughout the room.

Guy: Jimmy Eat World are pretty good.
Other Guy: Their new song is awesome!
Girl: I saw them when they were at the Arena, they were really good!
Guy: Me too. Though I was actually there for Tenacious D. (who toured with them that time)
Girl: Yeah, but Weezer sucked... (Who toured with Jimmy Eat World and Tenacious D that time)
Guy: Well I never saw them in concert before that, so I couldn't tell
Girl: Me neither, but I heard that.... *devolves into a group conversation about the pros and cons of Weezer*

So now I feel cool.

True story.

Extra long closing quote:

Smile
Like you've got nothing to prove
No matter what you might do
There's always someone out there cooler than you

I know that's hard to believe
But there are people you meet
They're into something that is too big to be

Expressed
Through their clothes
And they'll put up with all the poses you'll throw
And you won't

Even know
that they're not sizing you up
They know your mom fucked you up
Or maybe let you watch too much TV

But they'll still look in your eyes
To find the human inside
You know there's always something in there to see

Beneath
The veneer
Not everybody made the list this year

--"There's Always Someone Cooler Than You," Ben Folds

Phoemeister: Considering the next best thing I have to do is to talk to tina about whether or not a pair of slugs is having sex in this picture she took
Kin: Is it bad that that doesn't really surprise me?
Phoemeister: ......yes. Yes it is. But bad for me. That I'm the type of person that it doesn't surprise anyone that I'm sitting around IMing people about slug sex
Kin: Well, I was more talking about the fact that Tina took pictures of slugs having sex.
Phoemeister: lol
Phoemeister: Tina would do that. And thanks for your faith in me.

Streetlights, they shine through the shades
casting lines on the floor
lines on his face
he reflects on the day

--"Fred Jones Part II," Ben Folds

HELLS YEAH!

Guess who finally scored tickets to see Ben Folds?

Me! It's meeeeeeeeeeee!

So if you, too, are there and see a nerdy girl hollering up at him "I want you to have my babies!" that'd be me. Meeeeee!

In less jubilant news, I am still sick today. It feels like someone reached down my throat with sandpaper. Am hoping this isn't the start of an uber-cold or some weird throat infection.

And so
he forgot, he forgot
maybe not
maybe he's been seriously hurt
but that'd be worse.

--"Annie Waits," Ben Folds

I am sick today. Sicker than usual, at any rate.

I have two papers I should be writing, and any number of jobs I should be applying for.

But instead, I think I'm going to wallow in pity for my diseased self.

Pretty good day today, TV-10 went well and all.

The best part of today was hanging out with one of my high school friends again tonight. We went to see Napoleon Dynamite, which was just hilarious. I had been wanting to see it for a long time, but didn't think I had any friends who would be into that sort of thing, but she was the one who actually suggested going to see it tonight.

Anyway, we both loved it. I can see how it might not be for everyone, but if you've ever known anyone remotely like that, and enjoy absurd humor, it's funny as hell. Also, I think you have to be at least a certain age. There was this group of like, Jr. High age kids there that you could just tell didn't get it.

Napoleon Dynamite: What the flip was grandma doing at the sand dunes?

ND: Tina, you fat lard, come get some DINNER!... Tina, eat. Food. Eat the FOOD!

ND: Deb just called me. She pretty much hates me by now.
Pedro: Why?
ND: Because my uncle Rico's an IDIOT.
Pedro: Do you have anything to give to her?
ND: No. Not unless she likes fish.

--Napoleon Dynamite

Grr... I'm beginning to get annoyed by IWU and their non-helpful approach to concerts. Well, the concert I want to go to, anyway.

I've been trying to score tickets to the Oct. 4 Ben Folds concert over there, and every time I call I get this recording that they're going to put the info up on ticketmaster soon. But the info is still not up on ticketmaster. Geez, how long are they going to wait to finally get it up? I'm assuming since ticketmaster is a website and not an actual place you can go to to pick them up yourself, you'd have to get mailed these tickets once you bought them, and we all know the postal service isn't going to be rushing their asses off just to get you your concert tickets in time. And I can't be the only frustrated one, I'm getting mucho referrals lately from people searching Ben Folds, IWU, and Shirk Center right now. I say all of us band together and march on Wesleyan until they give us some tickets! Woo! Who's with me now?

No kid, they don't give me a gun
I don't get paid enough to run
so you can call me what you want

--"Rent a Cop," Ben Folds

I've started painting my nails green lately.

I have gallons of nail polish, but hadn't really been using any of it regularly since high school, at least. I might've gotten tired of it even before then. The nail-painting was prompted by hanging out with my two high school friends the other day. For some reason, when I hang out with a group of other girls, I sometimes feel the need to do something girly just so that they don't look down on me just because I AM so un-girly. So nails seemed like a lot easier choice, instead of grappling with hair or makeup (considering I am horrible at the two latter) like I usually do. My only problem is I don't have a huge lot of girly colors. But I thought silver was at least pale, so I used that.

But after that was over, I started painting them green. I had problems with nail polish back in the day because I couldn't leave any color on for more than two days without giving into the temptation to peel it all off. But I have solved this by switching colors every couple days. TV-10 is especially helpful with this, in that it shreds the polish anyway and I'd need to re-do.

So anyway, I have enough friggin' nail polish that I've been doing exclusively shades of green. I thought it'd be fun to a) see how many shades of green I have, 2) see if anyone notices that I'm changing it, and III) see if anyone cares.

So far: a) 7, including turquoises
2) no
III) no

All reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistant one.

--Einstein

Interesting snatches of conversation from TV-10 today:

"Wow! My butt better make room!"

--My reporter, trying to stuff a mic transmitter into his pants

"Dude, do you have a metal plate in there?"

--Me, on the strange metallic noises I'm getting from the mic transmitter while he does this

"Labia!!"

--Shouted at us by random bystander

"I think professorname would be a great professor. I really really think he could be good, if only he weren't actually a flesh eating zombie.

--a fellow film studies minor I was conversing with, on the guy I had both film classes with semester

So I had a dream last night where I could play the saxophone perfectly.

But what I remember most is one conversation in the dream:

Me: I can play the saxophone? I don't even like listening to saxophones.
Other Person: A good chef doesn't eat.
Me: What? Like, never? Wouldn't they die?

True story.

So I got my hands on a particularly virulent batch of adware.... and am not even sure how, haven't been on the internet on the laptop for ages. The only place I was at last night that could've triggered this all was a website I was at for class, trying to d/l this short story I had to read. If that's where I got it... man am I ever pissed. Not that I'm not pissed anyway...

I stayed up half the night last night scanning and deleting with Spysweeper and thought I had it covered. But when I restarted the computer it ALL came back. And I have 8 stupid extra toolbars on IE that I can't figure out how to get rid of. And IE itself is constantly having glitches and shutting. And the computer goes mucho slow because of all the CRAP using my RAM. So... I'm very, very annoyed right now.

...And if it's a virus as opposed to adware, Norton didn't catch it. So... yeah.

When you can't even have fun on a bus the day after you've watched Speed: the novelty of bus-riding has definately worn off. I just hate the fact that it literally takes me a half hour to get from my class or TV-10 to the damn parking lot where my car is before I can even start the commute proper. I could maybe shave 5 or 10 minutes off of that time by walking myself instead of taking the bus there, but 25 minutes of walking is not really something I'm willing to commit to unless it's an absolutely gorgeous day out.

Also, I think I have multiple personality disorder or something. When I get up, I pick a CD for my discman, then pack it in my backpack and later listen to it while I'm waiting for the bus. Today I got to the bus stop, and for the life of me I couldn't remember what I picked out until I turned it on. And for the first 3 seconds listening to it I was like, "Matchbox Twenty? Why the hell did I pick this? I never listen to Matchbox Twenty anymore!" and then after that I was all, "This is awesome! I haven't listened to "Real World," in ages. Now I know why I picked it!" and totally got into the rest of the songs too, to the point where I was a little embarassed at rocking out on my headphones in front of my fellow bus-waiters. Not embarassed enough to actually stop doing it, though. Rocking out at the bus stop is my god given right and if it makes being on/waiting for the bus even slightly more bearable, I'll be damned if I let a little embarrassment get in my way!

I wish the real world would just stop hasslin' me.

--"Real World," Matchbox Twenty

My nose STILL hurts. From Friday. When I ran into that shelf.

Damn you, shelf!

So I ran into a shelf at TV-10 today. And then ten minutes ago I was scratching the bridge of my nose where I whacked it and being all, "Why does it hurt when I touch my face there?" like the real genius that I am. Does that sound appealing to all you TV stations out there? I could be your next intern. All you have to do is pick up the phone.

Though seriously, I am really trying to look for an internship now. I really hate the amount of schmoozing involved, though. I hate having to subtly beg them for things. I wish I could either just act cool about it, or get it over with and get down on my knees and hug the recruiter's legs and be like, "please, please, please give me a job! I don't want to live with my parents until I'm thirty! I'll do aaaanything *all talk dissolves into unintelligable sobbing noises*" So, if you know anyone who's looking......

Aside from all that, I had a great morning at TV-10. We went to the new high school. Which... I find a bit creepy, cause it was built like, 5 years after mine, so is almost exactly the same but just different enough to really freak me out. There was some program they were putting on to get kids to wear their safety belts, and they'd also gotten a huge grant to do so from a local company, and we were covering it. But the good bits are as follows:

1) they let us have donuts and sunny d. I'm ALWAYS shooting places where they have food, but it's either impolite to grab some or I have to leave before they're actually serving it, and it really makes me mad. So I actually got some food this time. Which... I just now realized how lame I was to make a whole paragraph about the fact that I got a donut today on my blog. Moving on...

2) I saw one of my high school teachers! One of the good ones! He was actually kind of a boring teacher, but the nicest guy ever. He helped me prep for my AP biology test. And pretended he remembered me today, and asked how I was doing and everything. So good times.

3) I got to photograph an oversized novelty check. It ROCKED MY MIND. Because I didn't think there would be one, and I whispered to my reporter, "Darn. I was hoping there'd be an oversized novelty check involved. I'm disappointed." But there WAS an oversized novelty check, and they brought it out RIGHT after I said that.

4) Also, one of the kids at the school looked eerily like a young Adam Sandler. Which also rocked my world, because the novelty check already reminded me of that bit from Happy Gilmore where he has all these oversized novelty checks from different golfing competitions sitting around in his car. So for the Adam Sandler-looking kid to hold up an oversized novelty check: priceless.

5) The principal of the school's name was Dr. Nuchols (pronounced like Knuckles). Which, she was actually the asst. principal at my high school back in the day, and I'd never really thought about how funny that name is, but my reporter pointed it out, and it hit me: that IS a hilarious name. So we got a giggle every time anyone mentioned Dr. Nuchols. True story.

I leave you with this scintillating conversation to mull over.

Kin: And I'm hungry.
Phoemeister: Oh. You know, they have this new thing called eating. Could be the solution to all your problems.
Phoemeister: My nose hurts.
Phoemeister: Cause I ran into a shelf
Phoemeister: good times
Kin: Ow...Well...They also have this thing called not running into shelves. =P
Phoemeister: Yeah. I just heard about it. I was all, "Man, I wish I had known about that."

For TV-10 today we covered these new Reindeer at the zoo, which was pretty awesome. Who would turn down getting to go to the zoo for free on a beautiful autumn day? The only downside was having to carry around heavy videographic equiptment at the same time, but it was still a lot of fun.

Oh, and yesterday I directed an almost perfect show, from my viewpoint. I only made like, one mistake. There were a couple problems with the new TD (he got confused about a couple things) but I think of that as more of a "newbie TD" thing than a "my fault thing." So yay for me.

Yukon Cornelius : Fog's as thick as peanut butter.
Hermey : You mean pea soup.
Yukon Cornelius : You eat what you like and I'll eat what I'll like.

--Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

So... I've thought for a long time now that the radio stations around here sucked, but they have gone down the tubes in a serious way lately. I'm not even kidding... I admit I'm a little picky, but you'd think that with 6 different radio station presets, I could find something at least half of the time. But no.

One of the worst parts is the two modern rock stations have been playing obscene amounts of hair metal lately. What is this? It's a modern rock station. When I tune into it, the farthest back in time I personally want to go is grunge. And for some reason, both stations play Highway to Hell ALL THE TIME. Three times as much as any of the other stupid hair metal songs. How about some variety!

Also, these same two stations keep playing copious amounts of The Beastie Boys. Which not only old, but not even rock. Which, usually, I'm fairly neutral on the Beasties. But I'm going insane, because again, it's not like they play all the Beastie's songs. They mainly pick Fight For Your Right To Party. I swear to you I heard it twice today. And it's not like I spend all day in my car just waiting to catch FFYRTP, I came across it on accident in the car two different times. And it's just not a convincing song. I've heard over and over constantly the last month or two and have still yet to party or fight for my right to do so.

The worst bit, though, is that all of the other stations besides those two and the oldies station I have tuned in constantly play Hootie and the Blowfish. Okay, in moderate amounts: not too bad. I even have the one album (I know, I'm totally lame). But again, they only play one song. "I Only Want to Be With You." When I realized the # of times I've heard that damn song this week was almost in double digits, a little part of me died inside. I think that's a rule, you hit a certain number of times of hearing that song, and your soul just curls up and dies. You just look down one day and are like, "Whoa. Hootie and the Blowfish killed my soul, man. Damn you and your homogenous brand of catchy pop music, Hootie! Damn yooooooouuuuu!"


P.S. Ben Folds is playing in my town in October, which is pretty much a chance I don't want to miss, because I'm always whining about how I'd like to see him in concert someday but am too much of a feeb to drive, well, anywhere outside of my town. The problem is: I can't find at all where I would go to buy tickets. (I tried ticketmaster and the IWU (school where he's playing)'s website, and his website, and still no leads. Any ideas, more seasoned concert-goers?

We're outta here like Vladimir

--Eve 6

I had a dentist appointment at noon today. I realized at the last minute I couldn't go because I had to direct at TV-10. Which, I should know by now that I have signed my soul away to TV-10 from 11-12:30 every weekday that I don't already have class, why would I let anyone schedule me for anything at that time?

But I get thrown, because while I always direct at wednesday, I don't always crew any other days. They pick me sometimes and sometimes they don't, and I pretty much just have to show up at the whim of whoever fills out the schedules. Which isn't so bad most of the week, but Mondays suck because whoever does it doesn't do it until right before time on Monday. So if you're even a possiblilty on Monday you have to show up whether you're doing anything or not, just to make sure or else you will be scheduled without your knowledge and you look like a big douchebag for not showing up when you're supposed to be there. Here's an idea: schedule a week in advance, people.

Anyway, I didn't think I'd be crewing today, but I was, and so I had to hastily reschedule my dentist appointment.

And another note on directing: I probably shouldn't be. Because I don't seem to be getting any better. Though I like directing, I turn into exactly the type of person that I hate when I direct. Easily freaked out and surprisingly angry. It must be no picnic for whoever is under me. I even start to act high handed with my superiors. I was freaked out about there being no operator around for camera 2 and started pestering the production director about it until he was finally like, "They didn't show up, Phoe. What am I supposed to do? Pull them out of my butt?" Which, although funny, was rather scary.

I think you can argue that EVERYONE is insane. And not just part of the time. ALL the time.

--My film prof. On... people being insane.

Here I am again, blogging to avoid a paper I should be writing. I really don't think the semester proper has really began until I make a whiny post about how I should be writing something.

It's really only an extra credit assignment. Which, to be perfectly honest with you, I would usually not bother with. But all it would take to complete this thing is to only slightly modify a paper I've already written for a previous course. Which is why it's so pathetic that I'm still thinking of blowing it off. And why I'm putting it off right now.

Though, give me some credit, it's partly because the file I need is on the wrong computer and I'm going to have to get into all sorts of elaborate machinations just to print the thing. I'm going to have to get off this computer, unhook it from the internet, hook up my laptop to the internet, start it up, find the file, upload it and e-mail it to myself, unhook the laptop from the internet, hook this computer back up to the internet, log onto my e-mail to get the file, download file, before I can actually do what I need to do to the paper. If only I had a floppy disk....

But no matter how many floppy disks I buy they all seem to disappear somewhere into the aether. I like to imagine other people finding them and reading my horrible papers or old ACS (applied computer science) assignments, but have to doubt it. Though if you do find a floppy disk with a C++ file called, "ACS broke my will to live," or any Word files containing papers named after cheesy pop-punk lyrics, give me a ring, will ya?

It's not my fault
I'll never try
I can't even tell you why
I'm tired of slowly sinking
still there's no one else to blame

--"Quitter," Gas Giants

For the previous post, I copped out on a quote and went to one of those cheesy quotation sites. Anyway, I liked that one from John Constable so much that I actually googled the name to find out who the hell he is/was.

Turns out he was a painter, which is not a huge surprise, given the quote. The above link has a brief biography, plus links to his paintings, which I found incredibly awesome. Which... I'm not really all that into art in general, but they reached me, and I felt I would share, in case anyone's bored enough to click the link and look at them. (My favorites are Tree Trunks and The Lock at Dedham)

Just today I realized another reason why I love TV-10. Or at least video production in general. Basically, I've gotten to the point where I can look at a shot I've made and just be amazed how great it looks. Now, I'm not going to give myself huge credit for that, but it still feels good. And I also like how it draws my attention to things that are beautiful on their own, that I might not have noticed otherwise.

Lately, this has particularly happened when I shoot people. Like, when I'm in person with them, talking, I don't really notice anything. But later, when I'm editting my footage, I'll just be like, "Wow... this woman looks amazingly good for 100 years old," or, "How could I not realize that this guy was so hot?" or "That woman is absolutely gorgeous." So it's nice to see people looking beautiful, even if it's only after they're long gone and I'll probably never see them again.

I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may - light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful.

--John Constable

Well.. now that I've explained that I only ever hang out with one of my friends from high school, I have to take it back because I actually hung out with another friend from high school last night. Actually, she's been living in Morocco for awhile, but came back to visit because her grandma is undergoing chemotherapy. So I'm sad for the reason, but glad we could hang out tonight.

And it was great, for awhile I've been thinking she's a bit snooty, but either I've gotten mature enough that I'm not too lame for her anymore or she's just gotten less snooty, because we've had a lot of fun the last few times I've seen her. Anyway, we nostalgized about old times, looked through highly insulting (for dummies, complete idiots guide, guide for complete morons who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground) vegetarian cookbooks, the peta celebrity cookbook (with Fabio, Corey Feldman, William Shatner, and more!), etc. Good times.

One thing did happen, however, that overwhelmingly illustrates how much I am/was overshadowed by her in high school. By some bizarre coincidence we saw this other guy from our school that neither of us had seen in years, and she like had a 20 minute conversation with him. He barely said two words to me (which, I have to say I wasn't being very conversationy with him either, because she was all "I'm in Morrocco doing exciting work!" and he's all, "I graduated and got into this really exclusive MNBA program!" and I didn't really want to add, "Yeah, I'm still workin' at the ol' mass com bachelor's degree at ISU"). Anyway, as soon as he left she was all, "I have no idea what his name is," and I had to tell her.

We also ended up looking at DVD's and I ended up with Pleasantville, which I've been meaning to buy for ages. And, it was on sale, so whoo hoo for me. I really should've bought it years ago and saved myself all the cash I've spent on renting it. She picked up the original Manchurian Candidate and was all surprised when I told her there was a new version now. True story.

On the way home I heard the new Greenday song, American Idiot, for the second time. I was surprised that I recognized it within half a second of when it started, usually I'm not that good at guessing when I don't know the song very well. Anyway, all politics aside, I really like it. It's good to hear a new Greenday song on the radio after so long. It's really been awhile.

I also directed at TV-10 today. I think I just get worse.... I totally messed up something that I usually do pretty well. Bleh.

Also: I've decided that Humphrey Bogart is a sexy beast. There. I said it. He's a sexy beast! And I want to have a three-way with him and Bob Costas. I said that too. So there.

Setting: TV-10 newsroom

Me: Okay, why is there hip-hop playing in the background of the beginning of a segment of the Rush Limbaugh show? Doesn't he hate hip-hop and all that it stands for?
Sports Guy: Yeah, but it was Will Smith.
Me: touché

Isn't it annoying when you only have 1 dial up connection and you live with someone who is always on the internet right when you think about it?

Yeah, my mom's been on lately when I want to, so that's why I've not been on much. Yet another reason why I should've never decided to commute from home this semester.

Oh well. I'll get a bellyful of cable internet time during my downtime at TV-10 Thursday & Friday. Those of you who I know your internet address: expect long, random e-mails.

Sing a song about myself
keep singing a song about myself

--"American English," Idlewild

*shakes head* This guy will drop anything into conversation out of nowhere:

Phoemeister: Steak literally makes me happy. There's some sort of chemical it emits after I've digested it that just gets into my brain and goes, "Phoe, you are now happy." If steak were a drug, I would be a junkie.
suz: i like sushi
Phoemeister: Does sushi make you happy?
suz: I think I mostly got into it because of its common association with female anatomy
Phoemeister: Sushi has boobs?
suz: lol...
suz: no
suz: more of a taste kind of thing
Phoemeister: err.... I'll have to take your word on that

I've never heard that. Is he making it up, or do people actually say that? Anyway, I've decided that band name #4 on my band names list is going to be "Sushi Boobs."

Speaking of food, today I went back to the chinese restaurant that I went to the night the gallbladder went crazy. Happily, after this meal, the gallbladder is feeling fine. Wherever it is. And nothing else went crazy either. Which is good, because I really like this place. I really don't eat chinese food, I eat one dish, at one place, and that's the place. So that's how picky I am.

I've been dreaming since I woke up today

--"What a Day for a Daydream" Lovin' Spoonful

Today was really great, I hung out with one of my high school friends. Well, really, the only high school friend I ever really hang out with very much if you've read the blog long enough to know anything like that.

She's actually in town indefinately right now. After she graduated from U of I, she was/is going to go into gradschool, but is trying to get an experience-building job of some sort and is living with her parents for the moment. So that is cool for me, as I am not rolling in the popularity at this time. We actually have hung out some since she came back to town but I haven't really gone into it.

Anyways we watched Ice Age and Donnie Darko, which now that I think about it is a rather interesting combo. Anyway, instead of renting, we both just watched movies we already had. She was the source of Ice Age which I hadn't seen for a really long time and wanted to, and I was the source of Donnie Darko, which she'd heard about once and had wanted to see. I was a little worried about DD, because it's not exactly the kind of film you want to show to a really religious person that you don't know hugely well* and aren't sure how judgemental they are because of how dark it is and all the curse words etc. But she seemed to like it pretty well (though she could've just been polite). This also being despite the fact that her DVD player was having sound problems and we only heard about half the dialogue (I had to kind of walk her through the rest), which is again kind of bad with a film that is hard to follow even if you can hear it fine.

We drove around some too, which we like to do. I was actually really impressed, she had a mix tape I made her over a year ago in the car. I'm used to people not really likeing tapes I make for them and then politely saying they do, so I was frankly amazed and pleased that she actually had it in the car. As nice as she is, I don't even think she'd go to the length to plant it in the car just for me to notice today because I am generally terrible at noticing things, actually. So that was cool.

Phrase that should be a band name #3: "Mild Peril" (the reason, according to Ice Age's packaging, that it is a PG film)

Greatly amusing conversation tidbit:

HSFriend: Ahh, Dairy Queen. That's where I first met [guy we talk about ALL the time].
Me: You met him at Dairy Queen? I thought it was at Kroger.
HSF: It was at Kroger.
Me: Then why did you say Dairy Queen?
HSF: Dairy Queen's right next to Kroger.

___
* We used to know each other really well, but have drifted some since high school. And actually, she probably still knows me pretty well, as I am a chatterbox and talk and talk and talk about myself if someone lets me, whereas she keeps a little more to herself unless prodded.

Last night was my first shift at TV-10 this semester. Pretty much standard.... only I ended up NOT recording an interview my reporter did with the mayor. I really, really wanted to smack myself, but the reporter was pretty cool about it, which makes me feel better. I bet he secretly thinks I'm a horrible incompetant, though. Which, we're going to have to work together every thursday afternoon this semester, so this wasn't the right way to start. Also: he's really tall, and I don't think I'm going to be enjoying ratcheting the tripod up to get him and then having to stand on my tiptoes to look through the viewfinder. Meh.

This morning was my second shift. Today I got paired with a new reporter, and a new photographer (so I could sort of show him the ropes). I felt bad for the guy I had to show the ropes too though. Because I'm horribly bossy once I let the inner dominatrix out of the can. And not so clear at explaining things sometimes. Hopefully I didn't mess him up too badly, though.

I also TD'ed the newscast which was.... really not too great. If you're a good TD at TV-10, sometimes you think ahead and do things even before the director necessarily tells you to do them. I know I appreciate that foresight if I'm the one directing, it makes my job that much easier. Anyhow... the director got angry when I tried to do that. But then, when I just stuck to doing exactly what she told me, the production director (the boss of all of us photographers, including the chick directing today) started getting mad at me for not trying to work ahead farther. So basically.... either way I kept getting someone angry, and it was not a fun position to be in.

Grady Tripp : Well, he did say a few things that made me believe it WAS his car.
Terry Crabtree : Like what?
Grady Tripp : "That's my car, motherfucker."

--Wonderboys

Courtesy of Ryan, I have discovered Spamusement, which is basically comics inspired by the subject lines of spam e-mails. A couple are lame, but most of them really cracked me up, such as "keep that blood flowing" and "you were wrong cabinet sanchez"

So if we screw up, it's all on tape!

--Independence Day (reflective of the fact that I'm back at TV-10 for the semester)

I love the florida cracker....

The second day of riding the ISU shuttlebus and I'm already the expert.

Scene: me, a mystery wrapped in an enigma. A contridiction within contridictions as I sip bottled water while tearing into a package of Starburst like a wildebeast. Two chicks walk up.

Two Chicks: We're waiting for the shuttlebus.
Me: Me too. *pause*
Me: Don't you think it's stupid that there's a red line and blue line, but both buses are red?
TC: What? There are two lines?
Me: Uh, yeah.
TC: Where do they go?
Me: Blue goes to Tri Towers, Red goes to Atkin Colby or something.
TC: What? How do you tell them apart?
Me: Blue has "Tri Towers" on the top in the front, the other says "Atkin Colby".
TC: Oh....
TC: When is it going to come?
Me: Uh... I dunno. I was just going to stand here and eat my candy until one showed up. They're not that far apart.
TC: Oh.

*five minutes later they try to board a blue city bus, then get back off and come back to where I'm standing*

TC: That wasn't the right bus.
Me: Yeah....