Perhaps at the beginning. Six months ago, I set out to start writing a novel; a sci-fi/fantasy tale of epic proportions that would bring a world of my creation to life. From the outset, I was off to a fast start. The story clicked. I was doing instead of talking for the first time in my life, and the results were... good. I created this Blog to chronicle my journey, and even though I never expected to have followers beyond the people in my life who cared to keep up with what I was doing, it still brought me a certain amount of fulfillment in having an outlet for my experiences and frustrations in writing... And yes, by writing more. Shush you, I know what you're thinking.
Anyway, a couple of months passed and real life circumstances intervened. A co-worker at my full-time job transferred away, and suddenly work was more hectic... more mentally draining having to cover extra shifts and hours, and while an opportunity was shone (I elected to move into the newly opened shift and switch up my hours to allot myself better writing hours) it became quickly obvious that nothing would be as simple as it seemed. It took weeks to hire a new employee followed by two months of training and even more stress, only to find in the end that said employee was not going to work out. What I thought would be a short break from writing had become a full on hiatus. Not only was my creativity drained by stress, but my mind was pulled further and further from my project until thoughts and ideas for the story stopped coming altogether.
There was honestly nothing I could do. It's hard to explain to people who haven't worked in a job that involves taking constant, emotional abuse from grown men who care only about their own financial welfare... in a job that involved hours upon hours of problem solving and stress over the outcome of your decisions. I realize that in a way I over-exaggerate the enormity of the situation and the stress, but when you get off work every day and you feel dead to the world, how else can you feel? But alas, this is all far more dramatic than I wished to make it out to be. My purpose was to explain my absence from this Blog and from the achievement of my goals.
After months lost on a hopeless cause, the search for a new employee continued again. Only this time, a second wrench was thrown into the works. A second co-worker departed. Suddenly, an office with seven dispatchers to cover twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week coverage was reduced to five. Five dispatchers total, and only one who was fully available to cover that which had to be covered. Luckily, the search for one replacement resulted in two workable hires, and the training process began right on the heels of the exodus of the most recent loss. For weeks, I worked as the only dispatcher during the busiest shift in our company, while at the same time being asked questions and given distractions, and each day I thought my brain could not be any more drained than it was that day, only to have the next feel worse. But at least there was an end in sight, as long as the new hires panned out, and so there was a little hope to be had.
Well... I'm here now to tell you that hope was enough. After four months away from any significant writing, here I am. Back. Tomorrow, I move into my new shift. Tomorrow, I dive back into my work, and I take the next step toward completing my novel. Tomorrow, I turn down a side street so that I can cross over onto a new boulevard moving my life in a new direction. And I promise... that direction will be far less formal than this whole update has been, haha. Because serious and formal are definitely not me. Not sure what inspired me to write this message with such formality, but fuck that. Let's end it on a better note, shall we?
So anyway! I'm going to read over what I had written already, and do what I can not to delete it all and start over. I'm going to fix what I'm sure I'll hate, then I'm going to start writing the rest. My new shift has me working the swing, so my hours are 02:00pm to 10:00pm Tuesday through Saturday. When I wake up in the morning, I'll have all of my energy and my mind to devote to my writing, among other things. More than that, I'm abandoning the internet in ever regard except for those that will help my book or this Blog. Well... and I'll still be doing Fantasy Football. But other than those things, I will no longer be using the internet. Not for Facebook, not for YouTube videos, not for porn! ;) Haha... yeah. More or less, I'm maturing. I'll get into it more in a future update, since this one has gone sooooo soooo long already as it is. So why don't I go ahead and wrap this one up.
I'm back, friends. Dream Quest is back. So until next time...
Dream Big,
Ian
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
A Remake, A Re-imagining, and Drawing Inspiration.
Today, I woke up with a plan, and the motivation to follow through with it. It isn't anything big, but it's the sort of thing I've been incapable of doing for months and months, and the reason I'm so excited for my coming shift change. What was my plan? Make a much needed trip to the movies. YES! The movies! At last! For those of you who don't know what makes me tick, who don't know what things spin my top, allow me to enlighten you. First and foremost, before everything else, I'm a movie lover. A Film Connoisseur so to speak. A Move Buff, and at the end of the day, I'm not happy unless I'm regularly seeing movies, which are new to me, and expanding the universe inside my head. I've seen maybe four movies in the past four months, and two of them were today, and that just doesn't cut it. The good news is, it won't have to anymore. I'm not there yet, but I'm almost back on track and moving in the right direction in my life, and along with everything else, going to watch new movies on a regular basis is definitely going to be a coming practice for me.
So with that said, I wanted to share my opinions on the two movies I watched today, because frankly I have nothing better to do, and I am trying to get myself back into the swing of making these Blog posts. Part one of my doubleheader was the recently released film Fright Night 3D. Usually it's my stance to avoid 3D movies like the black plague, and until today I completely had. Unfortunately, with the new 3D Gimmick, instead of having a movie airing every hour of the day at a theater, they have separate theaters for the normal version and the 3D version. Even better, it seems like the normal versions are sharing time with other movies, so when I sat down to check out movie times, there was no way to work out watching both movies unless I saw one of them in 3D. Now, I don't know about the second film, but I knew that Fright Night was actually filmed using 3D cameras so I felt that would definitely be the one to see if I absolutely HAD to see one in 3D. So, I did. For the first time in my life, I paid the extra five bucks for a gimmick.
Yup... I did it... And much to my chagrin, I was absolutely won over. I still maintain that I will never see a Post-converted 3D movie, but when it comes to films specifically shot in 3D I'm not sure I will ever go back. Let's talk about the actual movie for a minute first, though. Fright Night is a remake of a campy horror flick from the 80's starring Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale (Who?! Oh! The Guy from Mannequin Two! Wait... this makes me gay, doesn't it?), Roddy McDowell, Amanda Bearse, and Stephen Geoffreys. Now, I'm not sure if back in 1985 this was considered a Star-Studded cast or not, because I was three years old, and honestly didn't see this movie until last year. Having seen it so recently, though, I feel like I'm in a good position to offer an opinion in regards to how good of a remake the new Fright Night really is. Because sometimes, a movie calls itself a remake but completely fails to live up to the awesomeness of the original film (See Death Race or Arthur).
In the case of Fright Night 3D, I have to say that the movie lives up to and even surpasses the original in almost every way. And you know, while the story holds up, I think the real reason this movie succeeds beyond the previous was the casting. While the three teen roles played by Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse could have been given to anyone and probably been equal or better than the originals, but the shoes of Sarandon and McDowell were big ones to fill. As such, in my opinion, the success of this movie was always going to rise and fall on the performances of Colin Farrell as the exceptionally creepy vampire Jerry, and David Tennant as the exceptionally ridiculous vampire expert Peter Vincent. Colin Farrell rose above and beyond my expectations by far. He was just as intimidating and simultaneously intriguing as Sarandon was in the role, brought took the vampiric lust for blood to a new level. Once you see Jerry in the new Fright Night, you'll never look at Edward seriously again. Jerry doesn't sparkle. He rips out your throat. He doesn't meet young girls in High School, he kills their families and drains them for dinner. And on the other end of the spectrum, Tennant plays Vincent as less of a complete and total fraud, and more as a subdued douche bag with a past he's been running from his entire life.
While Fright Night was a bit shorter than I would have liked (what movie isn't these days?) it was a perfect balance of story, acting, suspense, and 3D cinematography... which may have been the true star of the film, frankly. Having never seen a 3D movie before, I was a total nonbeliever until my week at Comic-Con last month. During my time at Hall H, I actually got to view some of the Fright Night footage with 3D glasses, and got my first taste at how a 3D camera can work with a normal movie. Set in a suburb of Las Vegas, there is nothing specific about the story of Fright Night that screams MUST BE 3D! But I think that's actually the point. Watching the movie, it was clear in the first 5 minutes that the role of 3D in Fright Night was to add texture and depth unlike anything I had ever experienced. Every scene I was pulled deeply in, even if there was little more than two teens making out on a bed going on. Every single time the camera panned left or right, or zoomed in or out, the world of the film came to life. While super HD makes movies seem "Real" in that it removes the film quality and makes it seem like you're watching real people in front of a camera, this 3D experience actually draws you in and makes you feel like you're there. One specific sequence you're riding along in a car, racing down a dark road at night, and as the actions in the scene take place, it's as if you're experiencing them along with the actors.
Really, it was quite surreal.
I would most definitely recommend this movie to anyone looking for a fun time. I'm not the type of person who puts a lot of weight in a movie being "Good" over "Entertaining" because in my book, if you have one, you have the other. If you can blow the extra money, though, I think it's a MUST SEE in 3D and you'd be doing yourself a serious disservice if you don't. It can be a bit bloody at parts, but if I could stomach it, anyone can, since everyone who knows me knows that I don't do gory horror movies.
Unfortunately for the next movie, Fright Night was a hard act to follow. And while I did really enjoy Conan, any review I give will pale in comparison to the words I delivered above. As I said above, I don't know if Conan was filmed in 3D or post-converted, but I didn't see it in 3D so that really doesn't matter where I'm concerned. If I find out it was filmed in 3D cameras, I might go back and see it again, but for the sake of this short review, it does not matter!!! Haha. So yeah, Conan the Barbarian! Even though it's being advertised as a remake, I consider this film to be more on the lines of a Re-imagining. From what I've read, the script of this movie was based more on the original stories by Robert E. Howard, and after having seen the movie, I definitely want to go out and pick up one of his books. Now, even though I'd call this a re-imagining, it's more because it's a new story than because it's leaps and bounds different from the old movies. Actually, it was quite the contrary. Except for the fact that the Score of this film was forgettable compared to the masterful scores of the original Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer, the movie felt very much like those movies in pacing and cinematography. Obviously, the action was on a higher level and far faster paced, but otherwise the film moved in a very similar way. Another similarity is that this movie definitely made no attempt to hide the fact that it was a bit cheesy. There were moments, scattered throughout, that were filled with so much cheese that I wished I'd had nachos. Yes, moments as cheesy as that line. But the movie was unapologetic to that fact, and for that I respected it.
I could go on and on about the similarities and differences, but the only thing about this movie that really matters, and that ever mattered to me, was the star. Conan. Played by Jason Momoa, a relative unknown who had me saying "I'm just going to wait and see" from the day I found out he was cast. And really, I would have waited, but Jason didn't let me. He went out and got cast as Khal Drogo in my new favorite show, Game of Thrones, and drew my attention, and raised my hopes. So when I walked into that movie today, I knew I would love or hate it based on Jason's performance and his performance alone. The story was solid, the cinematography was alright, the score was lackluster, the casting was slightly cliche (Ron Perlman playing a Ron Perlman role, Stephen Lang playing a Stephen Lang role, Rachel Nichols playing a Rachel Nichols role, Rose McGowan playing a Rose McGowan role...), but the movie was really entertaining for me because Jason Momoa was...the...MAN! I walked out of the theater with a full blown Man Crush. Momoa played Conan was an honorable brute who was as sharp of mind as the sword he wielded, but as hot-tempered as the forge that very blade was created in. He was an emotionally withdrawn warrior who you truly believed was capable of love, but too occupied with vengeance for that sort of nonsense. I feel that he really, perfectly nailed the role. If there is a Conan sequel, I'd love to see drunken Conan, droning on about the lamentations of the women, but there wasn't any place for that in this film. Oh and in case you were wondering... maybe the best sword work and choreography I've ever seen. The way Momoa wields that blade... flawless. Every time he was fighting, I was riveted.
So while I wouldn't say Conan is the must see that I'd say Fright Night 3D is, I still absolutely loved the movie, and walked out of the movie theater on an entertainment high. And more than that, I feel... reinvigorated. I feel... inspired. I think we all have something that moves us and inspires us in a way that nothing else can, and for me that's definitely movies. I know it seems a bit lame, because someone else's work is my inspiration, but really it's like art. Da Vinci's works still inspire people to this day. Two weeks, three tops, ad my life will finally be transitioning to what I need it to be, and when it does I'll finally be able to get inspiration when I need it. I'm super, super excited.
Anyway, if you got this far, I thank you because I definitely made this thing WAY longer than I expected it to. I hope my opinions help you when you choose whether you will or won't watch these movies though... I think you just should. :) Soon I'll be back on track with my Book Updates, but maybe I'll drop a little movie review here and there too, since I do love me some movies! Until then...
Dream Big,
Ian
Yup... I did it... And much to my chagrin, I was absolutely won over. I still maintain that I will never see a Post-converted 3D movie, but when it comes to films specifically shot in 3D I'm not sure I will ever go back. Let's talk about the actual movie for a minute first, though. Fright Night is a remake of a campy horror flick from the 80's starring Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale (Who?! Oh! The Guy from Mannequin Two! Wait... this makes me gay, doesn't it?), Roddy McDowell, Amanda Bearse, and Stephen Geoffreys. Now, I'm not sure if back in 1985 this was considered a Star-Studded cast or not, because I was three years old, and honestly didn't see this movie until last year. Having seen it so recently, though, I feel like I'm in a good position to offer an opinion in regards to how good of a remake the new Fright Night really is. Because sometimes, a movie calls itself a remake but completely fails to live up to the awesomeness of the original film (See Death Race or Arthur).
In the case of Fright Night 3D, I have to say that the movie lives up to and even surpasses the original in almost every way. And you know, while the story holds up, I think the real reason this movie succeeds beyond the previous was the casting. While the three teen roles played by Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse could have been given to anyone and probably been equal or better than the originals, but the shoes of Sarandon and McDowell were big ones to fill. As such, in my opinion, the success of this movie was always going to rise and fall on the performances of Colin Farrell as the exceptionally creepy vampire Jerry, and David Tennant as the exceptionally ridiculous vampire expert Peter Vincent. Colin Farrell rose above and beyond my expectations by far. He was just as intimidating and simultaneously intriguing as Sarandon was in the role, brought took the vampiric lust for blood to a new level. Once you see Jerry in the new Fright Night, you'll never look at Edward seriously again. Jerry doesn't sparkle. He rips out your throat. He doesn't meet young girls in High School, he kills their families and drains them for dinner. And on the other end of the spectrum, Tennant plays Vincent as less of a complete and total fraud, and more as a subdued douche bag with a past he's been running from his entire life.
While Fright Night was a bit shorter than I would have liked (what movie isn't these days?) it was a perfect balance of story, acting, suspense, and 3D cinematography... which may have been the true star of the film, frankly. Having never seen a 3D movie before, I was a total nonbeliever until my week at Comic-Con last month. During my time at Hall H, I actually got to view some of the Fright Night footage with 3D glasses, and got my first taste at how a 3D camera can work with a normal movie. Set in a suburb of Las Vegas, there is nothing specific about the story of Fright Night that screams MUST BE 3D! But I think that's actually the point. Watching the movie, it was clear in the first 5 minutes that the role of 3D in Fright Night was to add texture and depth unlike anything I had ever experienced. Every scene I was pulled deeply in, even if there was little more than two teens making out on a bed going on. Every single time the camera panned left or right, or zoomed in or out, the world of the film came to life. While super HD makes movies seem "Real" in that it removes the film quality and makes it seem like you're watching real people in front of a camera, this 3D experience actually draws you in and makes you feel like you're there. One specific sequence you're riding along in a car, racing down a dark road at night, and as the actions in the scene take place, it's as if you're experiencing them along with the actors.
Really, it was quite surreal.
I would most definitely recommend this movie to anyone looking for a fun time. I'm not the type of person who puts a lot of weight in a movie being "Good" over "Entertaining" because in my book, if you have one, you have the other. If you can blow the extra money, though, I think it's a MUST SEE in 3D and you'd be doing yourself a serious disservice if you don't. It can be a bit bloody at parts, but if I could stomach it, anyone can, since everyone who knows me knows that I don't do gory horror movies.
I could go on and on about the similarities and differences, but the only thing about this movie that really matters, and that ever mattered to me, was the star. Conan. Played by Jason Momoa, a relative unknown who had me saying "I'm just going to wait and see" from the day I found out he was cast. And really, I would have waited, but Jason didn't let me. He went out and got cast as Khal Drogo in my new favorite show, Game of Thrones, and drew my attention, and raised my hopes. So when I walked into that movie today, I knew I would love or hate it based on Jason's performance and his performance alone. The story was solid, the cinematography was alright, the score was lackluster, the casting was slightly cliche (Ron Perlman playing a Ron Perlman role, Stephen Lang playing a Stephen Lang role, Rachel Nichols playing a Rachel Nichols role, Rose McGowan playing a Rose McGowan role...), but the movie was really entertaining for me because Jason Momoa was...the...MAN! I walked out of the theater with a full blown Man Crush. Momoa played Conan was an honorable brute who was as sharp of mind as the sword he wielded, but as hot-tempered as the forge that very blade was created in. He was an emotionally withdrawn warrior who you truly believed was capable of love, but too occupied with vengeance for that sort of nonsense. I feel that he really, perfectly nailed the role. If there is a Conan sequel, I'd love to see drunken Conan, droning on about the lamentations of the women, but there wasn't any place for that in this film. Oh and in case you were wondering... maybe the best sword work and choreography I've ever seen. The way Momoa wields that blade... flawless. Every time he was fighting, I was riveted.
So while I wouldn't say Conan is the must see that I'd say Fright Night 3D is, I still absolutely loved the movie, and walked out of the movie theater on an entertainment high. And more than that, I feel... reinvigorated. I feel... inspired. I think we all have something that moves us and inspires us in a way that nothing else can, and for me that's definitely movies. I know it seems a bit lame, because someone else's work is my inspiration, but really it's like art. Da Vinci's works still inspire people to this day. Two weeks, three tops, ad my life will finally be transitioning to what I need it to be, and when it does I'll finally be able to get inspiration when I need it. I'm super, super excited.
Anyway, if you got this far, I thank you because I definitely made this thing WAY longer than I expected it to. I hope my opinions help you when you choose whether you will or won't watch these movies though... I think you just should. :) Soon I'll be back on track with my Book Updates, but maybe I'll drop a little movie review here and there too, since I do love me some movies! Until then...
Dream Big,
Ian
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A Storm to Weather, then...
Good times! Haha. The title says it all, I think. Well, maybe not ALL all, but you know what I'm saying. I've got a tumultuous couple of weeks ahead of me. Aside from the fact that we still haven't filled the graveyard position, further delaying my shift change, another of my coworkers put in her two weeks notice just under two weeks ago. Tomorrow is her last day, and after that I'll be mostly on my own. On my own, performing the job of three people. My stress levels are going to go through the roof, and in preparation of this, I retired from my stint as a Youtube Gaming Commentator. I have to say, it's bummed me out a good bit. I just knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with it since I will be getting off work every day and going into a mental coma. The outlook has been incredibly bleak.
Until this Monday. Sure, the storm is still going to hit and hit hard. it's going to suck a lot. BUT they already got BOTH positions filled. BOTH people passed their background checks and BOTH have over 20 years dispatching experience. As a result, it's looking like there is an end in sight. Barring these people being total failures, which doesn't look to be possible, I should FINALLY be moving into my new shift by the beginning of September. I have to say... I'm SO FREAKING EXCITED!
Haha. I don't care how rough the coming weeks are, the outlook of finally getting to move has bolstered my spirits beyond words. There is a pep in my step that hasn't been there in a long time. Finally... FINALLY I'll be able to get my life on track, and so you know what that means?
DO you KNOW what THAT MEANS?!?!?! :)
The dust is going to get wiped off of Dream Quest. The meter is going to start moving again, and the Blog--yes, this blog--is going to start getting regularly updated again. So if you're still out there, wondering when I'll finally get my act together, now you know. So give me a high five, people! It's time! So wish me luck in the coming weeks, and keep your ear to the ground, because it's coming. Until then...
Dream Big,
Ian
Until this Monday. Sure, the storm is still going to hit and hit hard. it's going to suck a lot. BUT they already got BOTH positions filled. BOTH people passed their background checks and BOTH have over 20 years dispatching experience. As a result, it's looking like there is an end in sight. Barring these people being total failures, which doesn't look to be possible, I should FINALLY be moving into my new shift by the beginning of September. I have to say... I'm SO FREAKING EXCITED!
Haha. I don't care how rough the coming weeks are, the outlook of finally getting to move has bolstered my spirits beyond words. There is a pep in my step that hasn't been there in a long time. Finally... FINALLY I'll be able to get my life on track, and so you know what that means?
DO you KNOW what THAT MEANS?!?!?! :)
The dust is going to get wiped off of Dream Quest. The meter is going to start moving again, and the Blog--yes, this blog--is going to start getting regularly updated again. So if you're still out there, wondering when I'll finally get my act together, now you know. So give me a high five, people! It's time! So wish me luck in the coming weeks, and keep your ear to the ground, because it's coming. Until then...
Dream Big,
Ian
Monday, July 18, 2011
SDCC...That's Comic-Con, yo.
Hello Hello, how's it going my friends? Good, I hope! I'm just fan-effing-tastic myself. and yes, that was me trying not to be a potty mouth, but simultaneously expressing my distaste in my situation, haha. But alas, there is a good amount stuff to be happy with, so let's skim over the unpleasant to get to the awesome, hall we?
In a brief update, Crappy New Guy got fired after 2 months of being trained and just never getting it. They are bringing in another new guy who won't begin training for another 2 weeks. So at least another month before my shift and life changes/evolves into what I want it to be. Really, really bummed about this, but what can I do? Suck it up. That's the only answer. And yes, I rolled my eyes at that answer.
But I don't want to be all down about crap I can't control, so let's talk about something fun. Comic-Con is this week! Woot! I'm SOOOOOO pumped! So in my excitement I was going through the daily schedules and kinda picked out the things I want to check out the most, and figured I'd share them with yous guys. Keep in mind that it's impossible to get into everything you want to see at Comic-Con. One room can only hold so many people, so I wrote in a bunch of alternative things in case what I wanted ended up being full.
Thursday...
First things first, in the morning there is a panel introducing the plans for a Star Wars Kinect game. There are a few panels regarding various Star Wars things, and this one looks like one of the better ones. The problem is that you have to get in lines for the big panels really early, which often rules these sorts of panels out.
Later there is a panel about something blah blah who cares Felicia Day is in it. :) Mmmmm... It would be between this one and a panel on Writing an "Epic Novel" which authors like George R.R. Martin and Kevin Anderson. We all know which one I SHOULD go to. If I hit Felicia up, I'd have time for the Blizzard panel at 1300... And no, I'm not talking about snow. I'm curious for the Blizzard panel because I've recently gotten into playing Starcraft 2... and because Diablo 3 looks interesting. My reason for wanting to avoid such a panel is getting sucked back into WoW, which I definitely don't want.
After that, the big dilemma of the day. Game of Thrones panel is happening at the same time as the big Fox panel. To get into the Fox panel, I'd probably have to miss Blizzard, so I'm on the fence. Big movie news? Or my new favorite TV show? WHAT DO I DO?!?! OH, I have an answer... at the same time is the Star Wars Old Republic Bioware Panel. SHIT! haha. I'll probably hit that up in hopes of a release date and leave empty on the inside. I'm supposed to be a Gamer now, so... yeah. Damn.
Directly after TOR, there is a panel for City of Heroes, a game I abandoned ages ago. A game I loved so much more than WoW. I shouldn't go, but you have to wonder... why is such an old game holding a panel at Comic-Con? Could we be seeing a sequel? Don't I have to find out? At the same time as this, Robert Rodriguez is holding a panel. If I want to spend time with my buddy Frank, I should be here instead. Pretty sure he has it circled already.
Otherwise Thursday is relatively slow. Showtime is holding a panel and the cast of Dexter will be there, but at the same time there is a Panel on Voice Acting and how to break into that industry. I'm sort of intrigued, to be honest. So... yeah.
Friday?
Assuming I can get into Hall H, Friday will probably be spent in one spot. Underworld is showing, Dreamworks will put on a show, and then Sony. Lots of big name movies and actors. Beforehand, we might have time to hit Walking Dead. If Hall H doesn't work out, Legendary Pictures is going to show a few interesting projects. Falling Skies has a panel in the afternoon during Dreamworks and Sony. The New Spartacus show will be there during the second half of the Sony panel. So there are a few options, but really it's going to depend on our luck.
Saturday!
Saturday, I'm thinking about staying in. Haha. We're staying at the Hilton Bayfront, and their Indigo Room is going to be showing a bunch of Panels during the week. Saturday it goes Attack of the Show, Community, legendary Comics, Joss Whedon, The Guild. With a few other meh things smushed in between. otherwise I have my eyes on Terra Nova in the morning, and then trying to get into Hall H again.
Hall H will have Immortals, Snow White and the Huntsman, and of course... Kevin Smith. If Hall H doesn't happen, Guild Wars 2 has a panel going, Assassin's Creed, the new Airbender cartoon, Dark Horse Comics/Bioware, and then maybe a new show called Good Vibes, which I've never heard of but has a few cool actors.
In the evening, I'm looking to possibly hit up the Star Wars Trivia deal, but it depends on how early my friends want to get out to dinner.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
Sunday I'll probably spend my day walking around the main floor. Glee has a panel, but I'll never admit to going to it, if I do. Allen Gregory looks good. Love me some Jonah Hill. There is a Browncoats panel for us Firefly fans, and then depending on when we leave, possibly another voice acting sort of panel. So we'll see!
Obviously, there will be TONS of other things there. I'm hoping I can get my camera working, otherwise I'll be filling my phone to the brim with pictures. I promise some sort of epic post on here, talking about all of my adventures, when I get back. Hopefully with pictures and everything. No promises, but I'll do my darndest. Until then, I hope everything is cool with you guys. Try not to envy me too much when you're doing your usual, boring stuff this week. :) I'll catch you guys on the flip side!
Oh and don't forget...
Dream Big,
Ian
In a brief update, Crappy New Guy got fired after 2 months of being trained and just never getting it. They are bringing in another new guy who won't begin training for another 2 weeks. So at least another month before my shift and life changes/evolves into what I want it to be. Really, really bummed about this, but what can I do? Suck it up. That's the only answer. And yes, I rolled my eyes at that answer.
But I don't want to be all down about crap I can't control, so let's talk about something fun. Comic-Con is this week! Woot! I'm SOOOOOO pumped! So in my excitement I was going through the daily schedules and kinda picked out the things I want to check out the most, and figured I'd share them with yous guys. Keep in mind that it's impossible to get into everything you want to see at Comic-Con. One room can only hold so many people, so I wrote in a bunch of alternative things in case what I wanted ended up being full.
Thursday...
First things first, in the morning there is a panel introducing the plans for a Star Wars Kinect game. There are a few panels regarding various Star Wars things, and this one looks like one of the better ones. The problem is that you have to get in lines for the big panels really early, which often rules these sorts of panels out.
Later there is a panel about something blah blah who cares Felicia Day is in it. :) Mmmmm... It would be between this one and a panel on Writing an "Epic Novel" which authors like George R.R. Martin and Kevin Anderson. We all know which one I SHOULD go to. If I hit Felicia up, I'd have time for the Blizzard panel at 1300... And no, I'm not talking about snow. I'm curious for the Blizzard panel because I've recently gotten into playing Starcraft 2... and because Diablo 3 looks interesting. My reason for wanting to avoid such a panel is getting sucked back into WoW, which I definitely don't want.
After that, the big dilemma of the day. Game of Thrones panel is happening at the same time as the big Fox panel. To get into the Fox panel, I'd probably have to miss Blizzard, so I'm on the fence. Big movie news? Or my new favorite TV show? WHAT DO I DO?!?! OH, I have an answer... at the same time is the Star Wars Old Republic Bioware Panel. SHIT! haha. I'll probably hit that up in hopes of a release date and leave empty on the inside. I'm supposed to be a Gamer now, so... yeah. Damn.
Directly after TOR, there is a panel for City of Heroes, a game I abandoned ages ago. A game I loved so much more than WoW. I shouldn't go, but you have to wonder... why is such an old game holding a panel at Comic-Con? Could we be seeing a sequel? Don't I have to find out? At the same time as this, Robert Rodriguez is holding a panel. If I want to spend time with my buddy Frank, I should be here instead. Pretty sure he has it circled already.
Otherwise Thursday is relatively slow. Showtime is holding a panel and the cast of Dexter will be there, but at the same time there is a Panel on Voice Acting and how to break into that industry. I'm sort of intrigued, to be honest. So... yeah.
Friday?
Assuming I can get into Hall H, Friday will probably be spent in one spot. Underworld is showing, Dreamworks will put on a show, and then Sony. Lots of big name movies and actors. Beforehand, we might have time to hit Walking Dead. If Hall H doesn't work out, Legendary Pictures is going to show a few interesting projects. Falling Skies has a panel in the afternoon during Dreamworks and Sony. The New Spartacus show will be there during the second half of the Sony panel. So there are a few options, but really it's going to depend on our luck.
Saturday!
Saturday, I'm thinking about staying in. Haha. We're staying at the Hilton Bayfront, and their Indigo Room is going to be showing a bunch of Panels during the week. Saturday it goes Attack of the Show, Community, legendary Comics, Joss Whedon, The Guild. With a few other meh things smushed in between. otherwise I have my eyes on Terra Nova in the morning, and then trying to get into Hall H again.
Hall H will have Immortals, Snow White and the Huntsman, and of course... Kevin Smith. If Hall H doesn't happen, Guild Wars 2 has a panel going, Assassin's Creed, the new Airbender cartoon, Dark Horse Comics/Bioware, and then maybe a new show called Good Vibes, which I've never heard of but has a few cool actors.
In the evening, I'm looking to possibly hit up the Star Wars Trivia deal, but it depends on how early my friends want to get out to dinner.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
Sunday I'll probably spend my day walking around the main floor. Glee has a panel, but I'll never admit to going to it, if I do. Allen Gregory looks good. Love me some Jonah Hill. There is a Browncoats panel for us Firefly fans, and then depending on when we leave, possibly another voice acting sort of panel. So we'll see!
Obviously, there will be TONS of other things there. I'm hoping I can get my camera working, otherwise I'll be filling my phone to the brim with pictures. I promise some sort of epic post on here, talking about all of my adventures, when I get back. Hopefully with pictures and everything. No promises, but I'll do my darndest. Until then, I hope everything is cool with you guys. Try not to envy me too much when you're doing your usual, boring stuff this week. :) I'll catch you guys on the flip side!
Oh and don't forget...
Dream Big,
Ian
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A Second Rate Gamer and Change is here... Maybe.
So the last couple of weeks have been kinda zany/hectic/jumbled for me. Work up until last Friday was crazy. Everyone was calling in sick and taking vacation and I was working by myself doing the job of 3 people, and WHOA! It was craziness. Even still, I had the Youtube bug, and despite how crazy things were at work, it's always been easy for me to go home and play video games and just relax. Well, now I've transformed that routine into a job... and in a way, I'm really happy about it, and in another way I just hate myself for destroying my favorite carefree activity.
So here is the deal. I created a channel on Youtube and titled myself the Second Rate Gamer. /secondrategamer if that wasn't made clear :-P And so in a little over a week, I've uploaded 8 videos and gotten 20 subscribers. I don't know if thats considered fast or slow, and honestly I don't really care either way. It's pretty exciting to have anyone watching at all. Am I good at this? Not really, but the process of commentating over gameplay is actually pretty fun. The downside to this new hobby is that it's easily the most time consuming thing I've EVER DONE! Seriously. You have to play the game to get the gameplay. Insert a few hours. You have to convert the video once you capture it. 15-30 minutes. You have to do the commentary over the video. usually 30-60 minutes. You have to render the video. 30-60 minutes. You have to upload the video to youtube. 160-190 minutes. Not counting the time playing the game, you're looking at 4-5 hours for a 10 minute video. That's sick. As a result, I haven't been reading at all, though I think part of that was from me burning through 6 books in a week and reading myself to death.
Plus, I'm fighting the urge to re-read Deathly Hallows before the movie comes out next week.
Either way, I am enjoying myself and making the best out of the fact that I've been trapped in quicksand for two months. Which is a nice little segue to some upcoming news. I was informed yesterday that, one way or the other, I will find out if my shift is going to change this weekend. One of two things will happen. One, the crappy new guy is deemed acceptable and the graveyard guy now takes the weekend off. He then starts Monday in my current shift, and I start work on Tuesday in my new shift. Two, crappy new guy is deemed crappy, is released, and I stay in the quicksand. So please, please keep your fingers crossed for me. Sadly, I was informed that we could all be moved back to the shifts we're in now if the new guy screws up too much in the following weeks, assuming he's kept. So that would suck, but only time will tell if that is going to happen so I'm not going to let myself worry about it.
If I move into my new shift next week, I'll probably spend the week catching up on sleep. Then the next week is Comic-Con. So I expect by the last week of the month, I'll be digging back in and starting up on Dream Quest again. Hopefully Comic-Con will help to rev my engines in those regards too, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm really stoked about the prospect, though, and with any luck these updates will revert back to their initial purpose of talking about my book! Until then...
Dream Big,
Ian
So here is the deal. I created a channel on Youtube and titled myself the Second Rate Gamer. /secondrategamer if that wasn't made clear :-P And so in a little over a week, I've uploaded 8 videos and gotten 20 subscribers. I don't know if thats considered fast or slow, and honestly I don't really care either way. It's pretty exciting to have anyone watching at all. Am I good at this? Not really, but the process of commentating over gameplay is actually pretty fun. The downside to this new hobby is that it's easily the most time consuming thing I've EVER DONE! Seriously. You have to play the game to get the gameplay. Insert a few hours. You have to convert the video once you capture it. 15-30 minutes. You have to do the commentary over the video. usually 30-60 minutes. You have to render the video. 30-60 minutes. You have to upload the video to youtube. 160-190 minutes. Not counting the time playing the game, you're looking at 4-5 hours for a 10 minute video. That's sick. As a result, I haven't been reading at all, though I think part of that was from me burning through 6 books in a week and reading myself to death.
Plus, I'm fighting the urge to re-read Deathly Hallows before the movie comes out next week.
Either way, I am enjoying myself and making the best out of the fact that I've been trapped in quicksand for two months. Which is a nice little segue to some upcoming news. I was informed yesterday that, one way or the other, I will find out if my shift is going to change this weekend. One of two things will happen. One, the crappy new guy is deemed acceptable and the graveyard guy now takes the weekend off. He then starts Monday in my current shift, and I start work on Tuesday in my new shift. Two, crappy new guy is deemed crappy, is released, and I stay in the quicksand. So please, please keep your fingers crossed for me. Sadly, I was informed that we could all be moved back to the shifts we're in now if the new guy screws up too much in the following weeks, assuming he's kept. So that would suck, but only time will tell if that is going to happen so I'm not going to let myself worry about it.
If I move into my new shift next week, I'll probably spend the week catching up on sleep. Then the next week is Comic-Con. So I expect by the last week of the month, I'll be digging back in and starting up on Dream Quest again. Hopefully Comic-Con will help to rev my engines in those regards too, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm really stoked about the prospect, though, and with any luck these updates will revert back to their initial purpose of talking about my book! Until then...
Dream Big,
Ian
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Updates and Schtuff
This Blog was supposed to be about my adventures in writing my book, and to an extent it still is... I haven't given up on it... but it seems like life has taken me on a completely different path, and so that's what I've got to update you about! I know, right? You're like OH so excited.
Let's start with the Bad. The new guy. The new guy... sucks. It has been 7 weeks, he's missed 5 shifts, and he still doesn't know anything. The guy is a waste of matter, and frankly, he's killing me. HE'S KILLING ME. I've been looking forward to this move for almost 2 months now. Well, here's the most recent update. Two weeks. We have to give the guy two more weeks and then he's either good enough or he's gone. Judging by previous experience with him, it's looking like he's gone. THEN, the hiring process starts anew. This is bad news bears, people. As we inch closer and closer to Comic-Con, I'm getting more and more worried. If they don't have someone trained and ready to go, I'm afraid they are going to try and revoke my vacation time. I wouldn't completely blame them, because this place would fall apart down two dispatchers, but that doesn't mean I won't be completely and utterly pissed. Borderline quitting pissed. I'm just going to hope that it doesn't even come up. Because I don't want to miss Comic-Con. For anyone who may be reading this who may be worried if I miss Comic-Con too, don't worry... I'll still hold up my end of the hotel, etc. Just because I might get effed in the A, doesn't mean everyone should.
Now for a merrier subject... youtube. Remember that one time I mentioned it? Well, I finally got my channel up and running and posted my first Call of Duty: Black Ops Commentary. I honestly don't know how you advertise yourself on youtube to get views and subscriptions, but I feel like my showing for my first video has been decent. I'm already up to 10 subscribers! The feedback has all been positive, so I'm pretty pumped about it. I'm going to most likely be posting my second video tonight. Youtube is one of those things where you have to stay active, or you'll fall to the wayside. It's actually far easier than I thought it would be, once you've got the basics figured out. The real issue is how much time it takes to Render and Upload a video. The good news is, that time will be well spent in writing, when my shift has finally changed.
Once my shift has changed, everything will fall into place, I promise. Meanwhile, I'll keep the updates coming, and feel free to check me out on Youtube.com/SecondRateGamer. Until next time...
Dream Big,
Ian
Let's start with the Bad. The new guy. The new guy... sucks. It has been 7 weeks, he's missed 5 shifts, and he still doesn't know anything. The guy is a waste of matter, and frankly, he's killing me. HE'S KILLING ME. I've been looking forward to this move for almost 2 months now. Well, here's the most recent update. Two weeks. We have to give the guy two more weeks and then he's either good enough or he's gone. Judging by previous experience with him, it's looking like he's gone. THEN, the hiring process starts anew. This is bad news bears, people. As we inch closer and closer to Comic-Con, I'm getting more and more worried. If they don't have someone trained and ready to go, I'm afraid they are going to try and revoke my vacation time. I wouldn't completely blame them, because this place would fall apart down two dispatchers, but that doesn't mean I won't be completely and utterly pissed. Borderline quitting pissed. I'm just going to hope that it doesn't even come up. Because I don't want to miss Comic-Con. For anyone who may be reading this who may be worried if I miss Comic-Con too, don't worry... I'll still hold up my end of the hotel, etc. Just because I might get effed in the A, doesn't mean everyone should.
Now for a merrier subject... youtube. Remember that one time I mentioned it? Well, I finally got my channel up and running and posted my first Call of Duty: Black Ops Commentary. I honestly don't know how you advertise yourself on youtube to get views and subscriptions, but I feel like my showing for my first video has been decent. I'm already up to 10 subscribers! The feedback has all been positive, so I'm pretty pumped about it. I'm going to most likely be posting my second video tonight. Youtube is one of those things where you have to stay active, or you'll fall to the wayside. It's actually far easier than I thought it would be, once you've got the basics figured out. The real issue is how much time it takes to Render and Upload a video. The good news is, that time will be well spent in writing, when my shift has finally changed.
Once my shift has changed, everything will fall into place, I promise. Meanwhile, I'll keep the updates coming, and feel free to check me out on Youtube.com/SecondRateGamer. Until next time...
Dream Big,
Ian
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Quicksand, Youtube, and Other Random Musings
Well, it has been a while hasn't it? I know, I know... I'm naughty. Even naughtier if you count that the little word count ticker over there is still accurate after a month plus of not moving. I do have an explanation, but it's a pretty lame one. Still, better to know. Every once in a while, when I'm moving through life at a good click, I run into what I like to call "Quicksand." Emotional quicksand might be more appropriate, or maybe mental quicksand. It's something that happens when I've made plans to completely change the way I'm living, and then those plans become delayed. I don't know if you've ever experienced a similar situation, but here is what happened.
I mentioned in previous updates that I was changing shifts at work. I've been working from 6am to 2pm Monday through Friday for about 2 years now, a shift that has plenty of benefits, but ultimately far more drawbacks. The worst of which is a lack of sleep. Because no matter how early I have to wake up, I find it next to impossible to get to bed prior to 11pm. So I'm tired all the time. Now, back about a month and a half ago, I had an opportunity to switch my shift so that I would be working from 2pm to 10pm Tuesday through Saturday. This actually works to achieve a few things for me. Firstly, I'll be able to sleep in and always be fully rested. Secondly, the shift I'll be working is 250 times slower in terms of work load than my current shift. So I'll have tons of time to write while I'm at work, time which I do not have now. And this was all supposed to go down over a month ago.
So Ian, what happened? Well... the new guy they hired, who would be freeing up the spot for me to move shifts, has been bad. Slow learner/preoccupied/bad. I think it took me a week to have the hang of dispatching. We've passed a month with this guy and here I sit. In quicksand. Everything, all my plans, all my hopes, all my everything was tied into this move over a month ago, and every week it's been pushed back another week, and so I'm trapped. Sure, it's my fault for putting everything on the line for this move, but can you blame me? I really, really need this. So that's that. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
Well then, Ian, what else have you been up to? In a word, Youtube. I'm a grown adult who loves to play video games, and more than that, I love to watch people play video games. Call me ridiculous, but it's who I am. Through a company called Machinima, I've been enjoying watching gameplay commentary videos of games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, Minecraft, Starcraft 2, World of Warcraft, and Terraria. And more than that, I've become inspired to have a hand at making my own gameplay/commentary videos. As we speak, I have a PVR out for delivery. This is something I'll be able to do for fun in the following week or so before this guy--fingers crossed--gets moved into his shift, thusly moving me to my new shift. Once I'm in my shift, my life will transition into an organized, scheduled regimen. I will start writing again, and I'll have time set aside for gaming and doing commentaries. I don't know how the commentary thing is going to go over, but if I have any level of success, I figure it would then help my cause at advertising my eventual book so... yeah. Call me crazy, but that's the plan. If nothing else, it will be fun for me. I love hearing myself speak.
Beyond that, there has been pretty much nothing. I've been alienating myself from everyone, so if you haven't heard from me... it's the quicksand, not me. I don't really have anything else so, until next time (not a month from now, I promise)...
Dream Big,
Ian
I mentioned in previous updates that I was changing shifts at work. I've been working from 6am to 2pm Monday through Friday for about 2 years now, a shift that has plenty of benefits, but ultimately far more drawbacks. The worst of which is a lack of sleep. Because no matter how early I have to wake up, I find it next to impossible to get to bed prior to 11pm. So I'm tired all the time. Now, back about a month and a half ago, I had an opportunity to switch my shift so that I would be working from 2pm to 10pm Tuesday through Saturday. This actually works to achieve a few things for me. Firstly, I'll be able to sleep in and always be fully rested. Secondly, the shift I'll be working is 250 times slower in terms of work load than my current shift. So I'll have tons of time to write while I'm at work, time which I do not have now. And this was all supposed to go down over a month ago.
So Ian, what happened? Well... the new guy they hired, who would be freeing up the spot for me to move shifts, has been bad. Slow learner/preoccupied/bad. I think it took me a week to have the hang of dispatching. We've passed a month with this guy and here I sit. In quicksand. Everything, all my plans, all my hopes, all my everything was tied into this move over a month ago, and every week it's been pushed back another week, and so I'm trapped. Sure, it's my fault for putting everything on the line for this move, but can you blame me? I really, really need this. So that's that. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
Well then, Ian, what else have you been up to? In a word, Youtube. I'm a grown adult who loves to play video games, and more than that, I love to watch people play video games. Call me ridiculous, but it's who I am. Through a company called Machinima, I've been enjoying watching gameplay commentary videos of games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, Minecraft, Starcraft 2, World of Warcraft, and Terraria. And more than that, I've become inspired to have a hand at making my own gameplay/commentary videos. As we speak, I have a PVR out for delivery. This is something I'll be able to do for fun in the following week or so before this guy--fingers crossed--gets moved into his shift, thusly moving me to my new shift. Once I'm in my shift, my life will transition into an organized, scheduled regimen. I will start writing again, and I'll have time set aside for gaming and doing commentaries. I don't know how the commentary thing is going to go over, but if I have any level of success, I figure it would then help my cause at advertising my eventual book so... yeah. Call me crazy, but that's the plan. If nothing else, it will be fun for me. I love hearing myself speak.
Beyond that, there has been pretty much nothing. I've been alienating myself from everyone, so if you haven't heard from me... it's the quicksand, not me. I don't really have anything else so, until next time (not a month from now, I promise)...
Dream Big,
Ian
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