Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Amazing Skyline!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Original Ideas
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Unprofessional Review of Slumdog Millionaire
OK yes, after reading that section it does seem as if this movie is the most terrible movie ever; however, I thoroughly enjoyed it and think that it was well deserving of the 8 Oscars it achieved. If you are thinking of seeing it, go soon because it will soon be out of most theaters. Just keep in mind: Rated R for some language (PG13 kind), Violence (PG13 kind), Child Slavery, and brief sexuality (Brief as in passing by a brothel on the way to rescue a girl from it... PG13 kind).
It has a happy ending, so don't worry.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Massacre!
Watch more MySpace videos on AOL Video
I hope this works.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Another Pointless Post
As an aside, I have been writing more stories in my "spare" time. I try to get my ideas refined, I work on a screenplay, I collaborate online with Facebook friends, and I throw around ideas with Joe Slocum. We came up with some pretty cool characters for a story last night. The Anti-hero who calls himself "The Scientist" and the US Marshall that is hot on his trail. And the psychotic assassin who is trailing them both. Oh we have good details about the lives of these characters too, but nothing that I will divulge over the internet. Suffice (it) to say that it is cool... unpolished, but it's that way on purpose. It has a gritty feel rather than a smooth flowing style, and I like that about it because it makes it feel more real to me. But maybe I'm just a weirdo.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
My Day So Far
Molly was at the door begging to go outside with me while I got wood for the woodstove. Just look at those puppy eyes, how could I refuse? I slid the door open and walked outside after her, carrying the old recyclable bin in one hand. Molly frolicked over to the little swingset and danced around for a minute while I began to load up the bin with irregular sized chunks of wood because all the normal ones have been burned up already.
I glanced up at Molly who had now begun to wander off toward the pine trees in the neighbors yard. "Molly!" I warned sternly, "Don't you run off now, I have to leave in not too long." She perked her ears and pretended to listen. I stared her down until I thought she got the point, then I continued to load up the wood. When the bin was full I picked it up and started toward the back door to the house. "Molly," I called, "come on, time to go in." I scanned the yard but she was nowhere to be seen. How long had I been out there, 3-5 minutes? I hollered a few more times before turning back to the house. I went inside and down to the basement where I unloaded the wood. I went back upstairs and opened the back door where I called out "MOLLY!" for 10 minutes straight. After that failed, I went outside and walked around calling out her name. But I had to go to school. I got my books, went out the front door, and started my car. I circled around the block once, but no Molly was to be seen.
As of this minute, Bethany has notified me that Adam has found the sinister pooch. She was enjoying a nice walk in the orchard all by herself.
Upon arriving at school, I went into the student lounge and glanced over somebody's shoulder while they read the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper. I skimmed through the editorial section when lo and behold, I saw my own name! A little over a week ago, I read an editorial about how stricter gun control laws could bring salvation to a city plagued by gun violence. I stole the article from Orbakers restaurant (with permission) and typed up a response when I got home. My preference was to have the letter be about 250 words long, but 175 words is the limit. Narrowing my topic wasn't easy, as there was so much I wanted to say, but I did it nonetheless and e-mailed it to the newspaper.
I thought they were suppose to call and notify me if they wanted to use my letter, but when they didn't I thought that they ignored me. But there it was this morning, right there in the DnC! My grandma and grandpa knew before I did, and I never even told anyone I sent anything in.
Coincidentally, it appears on the same day as a front page article about a murderer who got a pistol permit... I think they did that on purpose.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
An Exciting True Story
A couple of weeks ago, my boss got into trouble with his boss. We all knew who told the franchise owner about our supposed "less-than-par standards" because he came in all the time. He was a snoop, and he seemed to thrive on making stores other than the one he owned look bad... probably in an effort to climb the corporate ladder, if there is such a thing in this business. But my boss took it very seriously and began making a billion different revisions about the shop, including uniforms and recipes and such.
Previously at Cams, a delivery driver had to wear a white button up shirt with a bow tie. This summer when I went back to work there after a 1 1/2 year absence, the rules had become slightly more relaxed. The white shirt policy was still in effect, but the bow tie was no longer a requirement.
After the run-in with his boss, Chris reinstated the bow tie rule, which was tolerable I suppose. Unfortunately he soon demanded that I buy myself a new shirt and started getting extra grouchy about it. If I didn't buy a new shirt by a certain time, I would be fired. At this point I had already been feeling some pressure to quit, but not having any other job to go to, I had to give in and buy a brand new white shirt for myself, knowing full well that it would be completely wrecked within 2 weeks. The shirt I bought was nice, and it cost me $25.00. I didn't have enough time to look for anything cheaper, Wal-Mart doesn't believe in white button-up shirts. Further confounding the matter was the fact that only the delivery guys had to buy their own uniforms, other uniforms were standard issue.
I had this new white shirt for about a week when I went into work on Wednesday. Upon my arrival, my boss said to me, "Hey, where are your khaki pants? Didn't I tell you to wear khaki pants?"
"No Chris, you didn't tell me."
"Well, you gotta get some khaki pants before too long."
So I worked throughout Wednesday and on Thursday I went to school and forgot about khaki pants. In reality I didn't think it was a big deal, plus I had already spent $25.00 on a new shirt, so why would I want to spend more on pants for a minimum wage job that I didn't even like? I had also noticed something rather suspicious on the schedule the day before; Chris had a new guy scheduled to work some of my normal hours. What could this mean? I let that stew around in my brain for all of 5 seconds.
Friday rolled around and while on my way to work I realized that I had no khaki pants. "Oh well, not a big deal" I mused to myself. I pulled into my usual parking spot at work and grabbed my shirt and hat before getting out of my car and going in the front door to work. I entered like I normally did, greeting my boss with a smile. He was working at the bench making pizzas alongside the scumbag who had ratted on him. Chris looked up from his pizza making and said hello, then I watched his expression change. He looked at me with a rather stern face and said, "Hey Josiah, where are your khaki pants? Didn't I ask you to get some khaki pants? Remember that conversation we had?"
I looked at him with a strait face and said, "Oh yeah, I remember."
He continued, "So... what's the problem here?"
I stumbled over my thoughts for a second and mumbled something that wasn't even important enough for me to remember what it was. Chris pressed me for a strait answer. I looked at my feet for a minute before remembering my interpersonal communications class the night before. We had briefly discussed how well we conveyed our thoughts and ideas to others, even when it might be hard. I struggled with this for a second, the cannons raged in my head as the battle was fought. "Should I tell him what I am thinking... or should I just try and skirt the issue as I had been doing for the past 2 weeks?" I finally decided to just lay it out there plain as day and risk my job... it wasn't like it would be a huge loss to me anyway.
I looked him strait in the eye and explained, "Well, here's what I think: This is a minimum wage job, and I already spent $25 on a shirt, and quite frankly, I really don't feel like spending any more money on a minimum wage job that I don't even like anyway."
Without a single moments hesitation me gave me the news that I knew was coming anyway; "Well then, you're done." he stated rather matter-of-factly. I smiled and said "OK" and walked casually out of the shop. I got into my car and laughed. Then I realized that I probably had a paycheck inside on the counter. I waltzed back into the shop and kindly asked for my paycheck. Upon receiving my check, I turned around and walked back out the door.
So now I am jobless. I am currently waiting for news on any internships or jobs that FLCC might be able to offer me. If nothing turns up there, I may be able to score a job with a temp agency. If nothing else works out, I could always go back to Orbakers... but I hope it doesn't come to that.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
I'm Too Smart for My Own Good
"Acceleration Gasoline is what the vehicle will use when we apply extra pressure to the gas pedal. When we ease off the gas and drive at a consistent speed, the engine switches to Cruising Gasoline. And finally, when the driver downshifts, or apply the brake, the engine will switch yet again, this time to use Deceleration Gasoline. Not any of these types of gasoline can be used during a time when another is in use."
I thought it was interesting and entertained that concept throughout my psychology class this morning. What if all these nervous systems, or at least one or two, were really the same thing? It is true, you can't use gas with which you are decelerating for accelerating again, right? But in reality, all the gas is exactly the same, it's just being used differently.
Another thought I had was about my Interpersonal Communications textbook. Do we really need a 400 page textbook to tell us how to talk to each other? I can understand that some people lack communications skills, but taking 400 pages to teach us how to talk??
I think I should consolidate it into a 30 page booklet that would be much easier to read, access, and carry around. People could just whip it out at the first sing of a communications error. I will call it "The Handbook for Life's Misunderstandings" and it would be a bestseller until people realized that it was plagiarized.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Nobody Will Read This
On Tuesday or Thursday... I think it was Thursday, I ate some peanut butter nutty buddy snacks from the vending machine at school. Over the weekend I have felt very weird and sick, almost like the flu but a little bit different. I looked up the symptoms of salmonella and I guess it isn't always severe enough to be lethal, and the symptoms I have match rather well. I was unable to find the exact snack on the FDA website, but I don't know how you are supposed to find anything on there. I also tried looking them up on google, but all I got were Betty Crocker recipes.
Anyway, on another note, I hate my job. I like writing, and I got some good comments on my story blog. I have been writing a never-ending story with some dudes on facebook as well and it is going pretty good so far. I'm genuinely interested in this story now.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
UGH!
Anyway, I may lose my job very soon. I got sent home today because my shirt is not shiny and new. I need to buy a brand new shirt for my job or I will get fired. I don't even like my job, so why would I want to buy a brand new shirt? The shirt will just get dirty in a week anyway, plus the job is minimum wage and there is gas expenses, tire wear, oil changes, etc. Ugh, why bother eh? I put in applications before I went into work today anyway.
My public speaking class was last night and we had a substitute teacher already. When he read my name off the list, he said "That's a very nice name, the name of a poet." Something I had been thinking anyway. I always knew my name was nice... OK, so there was a short period that I wished to change it, but I was young and naive then.
I tried to put my CD player into my car by myself yesterday because I was tired of being musicless in my car. I hooked everything up the way that made sense to me, but nothing worked. This is getting very frustrating! Music is therapeutic to me. I REALLY need to ease my stress and get my mind off of... things. I try to sing to myself with no music, but the music is what controls my voice and keeps it from going places it shouldn't go. Plus something about certain types of music make me sing in ways that I otherwise can't figure out how to. I mostly need the music for stress though... I miss Five Iron Frenzy.
College is going to be tough for a while, and not because of the work involved. I have no first semester friends in any of my classes, and not only that, but they aren't even at school when I am! Some would rather have it that way I guess, but it's still tough for me. The smell of the college is killer.
I really need to go on that cross-country trip this summer... I really need it. YES I DO!
Ramble ramble ramble....
Friday, January 23, 2009
Cross Country Adventure!
So, I have to be sure not to get scared and decide not to go because that would be dumb and right now I really want to do it. It will be good for me! ithink
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Update
My car is also being fixed in Canandaigua so when it is ready I will go down to pick it up and then go get books if I have time. I am kind of disappointed at how winter break went, I had hoped to do more and have a fun time. But whatever, there's always summer, eh?
Sorry, my thoughts have been rather scattered lately so this isn't the most well thought out post.
Oh, I have a rental car for now while my car is being fixed, but unfortunately, the rental place (Enterprise) failed to check the tires before renting me the car. My Rio has never been stuck in the snow, but this Optima got stuck right away. It has near bald summertime slicks on it >:( Now why would they do that to me?
Friday, January 09, 2009
Things to do in My Lifetime
Anyway, I have been thinking of things that I need to do in my lifetime and compiling a list. Here are a few of my aspirations.
Ride the L-train in Chicago.
Ride the subway in New York City.
Drive all night long and in the early morning stop at a small cafe where I don't know anyone and order breakfast (why does that sound enticing? I don't even know, but it does).
Visit London and walk the streets late at night.
Sing in a rock band, preferably one that actually rocks.
Drive a ricer (fast and the furious car) on a highway in Los Angeles.
Have a Guinness in a small Irish town (I know, I'm evil).
Meet at least one famous person.
Learn martial arts... if I can. :/
Fire a fully automatic weapon.
I would like to have a good girlfriend at least once in my life.
I've always wanted to go to Australia... but I don't know what I want to do there.
Roadtrip with friends across the country... maybe to LA where we will drive ricers down the highways.
Thwart a robbery. >:D
Make at least one movie, even if it stinks at least I tried, eh?
There will probably be more to come, but that's all I can think of for now.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Public Information
For one, I have finally identified the root cause of my pessimism. I used to think of it as a curse of sorts but I have realized now that I use it as a defense mechanism. By not allowing my hopes and expectations to get too high, I keep myself from falling too far and getting hurt too much. I also use pessimism as a means to get attention. I never before thought of myself as one who craves the spotlight... and I really don't think the spotlight is what I want. Instead, I just want to be noticed and appreciated. Someone else can take the spotlight, just so long as I don't get shoved to some dark corner in the process. Is that a bad thing??
I guess people use many different methods of calling attention to themselves, I just happen to use self degradation. I want people to tell me that I am appreciated... without telling them to tell me.
But somehow I still manage to make myself feel blah even after being told that I am appreciated. Then what am I looking for? I think I am looking for a deeper sense of appreciation than what I get. I'm starting to feel lost... I don't want anyone to think I'm turning "emo" or anything... I think I'm just saying out loud (or on paper) what everyone else feels but feels like they can't say for fear of being labeled "emo."
I think that's enough for now.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Congratulations are in Order
I am only now posting about it because I am lazy and I fugured, "Why bother, the only people who read my blog know already anyway." But then I though that it might be nice to tell about it just in case anybody new stumbles upon my blog (sorry bout that), I'd want them to know too, right?
So congratulations to Dave and Leta for their new baby boy! I still haven't seen him, but hopefully I will be able to make a trip to see him real soon.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Schools End
Tonight, and as a matter of fact, right at this moment, I am at school and awaiting the commencement of my last class of the semester. Am I glad it's soon to be over? I think so, I need a break from it all. In another month maybe I'll be ready to go back. Until then, I plan on... working... writing stuff... watching movies that I have not had time to watch... cleaning my room... and so on. I hope I did good on everything!
My US History teacher also gave me a B+ (he said I could have had an A, but I knew I didn't quite deserve one... so did he) and he also gave me a 20 year old video camera. The kind where you put an entire VHS tape inside it and stuff. For that I am grateful... even though it's not top notch, it will do for now.
That's about all for now.
Monday, December 15, 2008
An Attempt to Keep the Story Alive
It was a scary thing not being able to remember something you had just experienced. It was kind of like being blind. Then I caught a glimpse of it. Was that really it? Was... no, that couldn't be. That's too weird, nobody would believe that... I wasn't even sure if I believed it. "Let's see," I thought to myself, "I was at the base... I was eating dinner with my comrades... No! I don't believe it!"
I groaned loudly, partly out of frustration and partly out of fear. The man from before, who I had assumed was a doctor of some sort, came rushing back into the room. He stood by my right arm and bent over and asked, "Are you remembering anything?"
I looked up at him and asked, "Where is everyone else?"
The man's answer put me back into a shock: "They're... they're all gone. Your the only one left alive, that's why we need to know what happened."
My head began reeling from the answer he gave me. "They... you... you wo-" I couldn't finish cause I couldn't get my thoughts organized. Finally I managed to get a sentence out, "I don't believe it!" I told him.
"What don't you believe? That your the only one alive? Or is there something else you don't believe?"
I Shut my eyes hard and braced myself, "Both." I responded, "I don't believe both... either." I corrected myself. "I-I-I need to..."
"I understand." said the doctor.
BLAH BLAH BLAH! That's all it is!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Another Beginning Never to be Finished
I woke up in a white room, surrounded by men in coats rushing to and fro above me. I was laying on my back on a white mattress with an IV in my arm. "What happened?" I wondered to myself. The time was unknown to me and I had no idea how long I had been unconscious. One of the men noticed I was awake and rushed to my side.
"Sir," he began, "can you tell me what happened?"
I looked up at him slowly, my eyes blinded by the lights above me. I said nothing, I just stared. I still was trying to make sense of it all. I didn't even know where I was, how was I to know what happened?
"Sir, can you hear me?" the man continued. "If you can hear me, blink your eyes."
I tried to understand what he was talking about, but it was hard. I finally managed to blink my eyes twice. The man repeated his first question, "Sir, can you tell me what happened?"
Another man came to his side and looked intently at my face. He must have seen the confusion in my eyes because he told the first man to let me rest and ask me again later to see if I was more aware of what was happening. Both men left and I was left to wonder what they were talking about. "Why couldn't I remember anything? Why were they so interested anyway? Where was I?" My thought echoed deep within me, and I hoped, or did I fear that I should remember them soon.