Thursday, December 31, 2009

Shorties

  • 18:29 Waiting for Avatar... 3D... IMAX #
  • 23:22 @euromandy I think now we want to see 2d regular to compare #
  • 01:25 Rooting for little or no precip and unseasonably warm temps for the next 24 hours. #
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Shorties

  • 16:09 They're going to fix the car. #
  • 19:29 @jkrall don't give them any ideas #
  • 19:30 @aerdin to this really sketchy looking place (although less sketchy than the ones on either side of it) - maybe all body shops look that way #
  • 00:10 Coulda watched a LOT more of Melissa #
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Random Images

It's been a little while since we've had some random images. The semester ended, we had crits, we've been back and forth to New York for a family holiday. Lot's of pictures piling up.

I got through all my grading, adding one more cashed red pen to the collection. I think this is becoming a sort of work of art of its own...


Crits came and went. I can't imagine doing it now like we used to do it before, we'd keel over for sure. This year we had our first video crit content - or at least the most significant video crit content to date. People had had projectors for thesis presentations, and there have been a/v portions of semester reviews before, but this sort of was a milestone. Not sure if it's a thumbs up or down though...


Amidst the semester review hoolpa they snuck in and delivered our laser cutter/engraver. I'm sure Louis hasn't worked 10 minutes since. All things being equal I'm not sure what it's for, but I am sure we'll figure something out...


My dad may have gone a little overboard with the catalogs. Still, we appreciate it...


Here we are shopping for a gift for Easton. Are fireworks not appropriate for 6-9 months? I can never remember...


(this was a MMS to my sister: "Shopping for Easton!")

When we got to NYC we spent the afternoon at MOMA. Get the timed tickets online for the Burton exhibit, there's a line for the line...


Our day in the city wound up with dinner at W D 50. More on that later...


Family holiday with my family and my sister's in-laws at Jessica's common law residence in Briarcliff. Really she should check the squatting regs, she might actually own the place...


In a photo I title "Too Soon" this is the grocery store back in Pittsburgh on the day after Christmas...


I'll give them a tiny little credit though. I cropped out a meager New Years card display.

We had snow and then a thaw. Here's something the Gutter Shutter salesman doesn't tell you about when they give you the hard sell...


"um, you might wind up with large shards of ice from time to time - nothing to worry about."

Turns out there were even more boxes from my dad. I don't know what he was thinking. This is like offering a drink to an alcoholic...

Shorties

  • 14:22 RT @pghfilmmakers: Lots going on 4 1st nite. PF has trailers at Harris. PCA is at 5th Ave. Place. Tons more elsewhere: bit.ly/7tkOa3 #
  • 17:03 "take you in the back for your MVP". Sportclips might be dirty. #
  • 01:02 Bear down Chicago Bears! #
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Monday, December 28, 2009

Shorties

  • 13:09 RT @scoutfinch2271: For a while, I blamed everything on Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, or Jesus. Now? Joe Lieberman. #
  • 13:09 Crossing fingers for the good guys #
  • 16:02 @scoutfinch2271 paranoid much? #
  • 17:16 not dead yet - way to go Stillers #
  • 00:33 RT @billmaher: Panic Nation mandates NO pers items in lap last hour of flight again making sure terrorists win/R lives suck more 4 no reason #
  • 00:34 RT @ellenjuhlin: Who is the TSA accountable 2? srsly, who do they report 2? Who do I write a letter 2? Secur ity theater is unacceptable. #
  • 00:36 Congrats Jed Harris and CMU Drama - "The Oresteia Project" makes the Post Gazette's Best theatre of the decade: bit.ly/5XasFI #
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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Ellipses...

200 hits to go to 100,000. Maybe 100,000 hits is a good time to retire a personal blog... Another New York trip, another GPS disappointment. Could it be that the Magellan people just don't want us to go to NYC... We got the "Something Something Something Darkside" DVD. I recommend it... Still a little jumpy after the car accident... I had an idea for a Branson show, but after looking into it *really* briefly it may be that it isn't enough of a show to be a show... No iPhone trouble for us in the city... Contemplating a complete email embargo during early January. Not sure if I can do it anymore... My bathroom repair isn't turning out as well as it could. I think I am going to have to do it again... Today it seems like the Steelers aren't totally out of it (although tomorrow when we hear about all the tie breakers it might be less shiny-happy)... In general I think I got better gifts this year than I gave; something to work on for 2010... Looking forward to MLE on the Kennedy Center Honors. I hope she doesn't get editted out... Haven't seen Avatar yet, just looking for a good time. Read an interesting article about the whole genre - check the sidebar... We're waiting axiously to find out is our car is totalled. Not sure which way works out better for us in the end. Really just wishing it hadn't happened at all... There's a part of me that thinks whatever awful compromise comes out of Congress for Health Insurance reform the President ought to veto it and tell them we're not going to tolerate business as usual any longer and they should craft a real solution instead of a passable sausage...

Shorties

  • 13:26 Water main break. #showerfail #
  • 15:58 Enterprise closes at noon on Saturday. Not helpful. #
  • 16:08 BW3 Monroeville #
  • 16:53 Too soon: yfrog.com/4g4rlmj #
  • 01:15 Something Something Something Darkside #
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Saturday, December 26, 2009

Safe Travels Jim, You Will be Missed

James "Mac" McCammond, Chicago Equity Actor Who Joined IATSE, Dies at 50 - Playbill.com: "James 'Mac' McCammond, a Chicago-area actor who shifted to backstage crew work, died Dec. 22 in Chicago after an 18-month battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, according to friends and colleagues. He was 50."

Shorties

  • 13:07 Thinking of the public option we should have had. Merry Christmas, and Fuck Joe Lieberman! /via @kurt555gs AMEN!! (via @scoutfinch2271) #
  • 13:08 Waiting on Easton's first Christmas morning. #
  • 13:10 @aerdin I don't think that hashtag means what I thought it did #
  • 22:15 Down, safe. #
  • 22:35 GPS says: you'll be home at 10:54, or 10:34, or 11:06, or 10:43, or 9:34, or 9:14, yeah: 9:14, that's it. #gpsfail #
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Friday, December 25, 2009

Shorties

  • 16:11 at my sister's for Christmas - ok, really it's my aunt's #
  • 16:12 W D 50 was AMAZING, everyone should go #
  • 19:55 I think I have a show to produce, maybe for Branson. Anyone point me to a producer? #
  • 22:25 And now, the afterparty. #
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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Shorties

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Shorties

  • 11:54 @scoutfinch2271 better 35 than 2 #
  • 11:55 running considerably behind schedule #
  • 16:56 Carlisle has 3G #outoftheboonies #
  • 21:20 Driving, done. #
  • 21:20 @aerdin dishes? #
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Shorties

  • 14:37 @scoutfinch2271 I wish I hadn't made it out #
  • 14:37 Clearing snow, again #
  • 19:01 Commute #2 #
  • 21:31 Xmas shopping for my nephew, is this good for 6-9 months: yfrog.com/4i8kglj #
  • 22:39 @aerdin wouldn't that mean it's raining somewhere between? #
  • 22:52 @aerdin right, usually a front between two different systems like that #
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Monday, December 21, 2009

Shorties

  • 14:32 Off to the escape #
  • 17:55 Our Sunday afternoon: yfrog.com/3lfqkyj. Should have stayed home to watch the game. #
  • 18:26 @DeMarko everyone's fine #
  • 20:49 Unbelieveable #
  • 23:06 @aerdin thanks for that #
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Sunday, December 20, 2009

Crunch

Here's what it looks like when you don't see the other guy coming:



There was none of that "everything slows down" - it was over in an instant, before I realized what was happening it was over. It looked *exactly* like it would on one of those NASCAR in car cameras.

Aside from probably two totaled cars everyone is fine.

A short list of things I am thankful for:

  • that it didn't happen less than a half second earlier - which would have been his right front and my driver door as opposed to my left front and his passenger rear panel.
  • that everyone in both cars was strapped in properly.
  • that we weren't in the truck, which being maybe three times heavier and much higher would have meant much more damage to the other car.
  • that everyone remained calm
  • that the tow truck guys were cool
  • that the Pittsburgh Police were extremely cool
  • that the insurance people were cool
Take a moment to think about how life can change completely in an instant. That's where my head is tonight.

Shorties

  • 15:44 More than ready to move back to Nevada - send housing and employment leads this way (before the snow melts and I remember I have a good gig #
  • 21:17 Marisa's birthday dinner @ Plum. #
  • 01:53 Water of Mars #
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Saturday, December 19, 2009

Shorties

  • 15:19 I go up and down on MoveOn, but I thought Stevie would like this: bit.ly/7WaDzo #
  • 16:49 Giving spring homework - never too early. #
  • 18:21 Design feasibility meeting #
  • 22:17 Hokkaido #
  • 00:52 Fall 09 Semester Review Shoe Contest: bit.ly/75XR1h #
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Friday, December 18, 2009

Fall 09 Semester Reviews Shoe Contest

We've had a one year hiatus, but now the shoe competition is back. I decided this time that I would hold back the photos until the end for one big post - so here it is.

Unfortunately I left the index of who's feet each shoe is on back in my office at work, so for the time being we vote without names. All in all its probably more shoe-centric that way anyway. If you recognize the wearer you can always put it in the comments.

And so, without further delay, here are this years competitors:

#1 - nice splash of yellow


#2 - might really be about hosiery, but the two tone is nice


#3 - nice ribbon detail


#4 - sophisticated grey suede


#5 - these have been on the blog before, but not in a contest


#6 - very nice color


#7 - interesting cut out detail


#8 - Pointy


Let the voting begin. The winner will get a TANBI T-Shirt. Polling will be open for a week.

Vote Here!

Shorties

  • 16:00 @scoutfinch2271 might want your safety glasses just in case #
  • 16:02 @thespophile why not just skip to "multitweets" #
  • 16:02 rejiggering Production students spring lab assignments #
  • 16:41 Remembering to do my "Very Early" USITT Registration #
  • 20:22 @scoutfinch2271 nice job smudge #
  • 01:49 @SenArlenSpecter better to pass a good bill later than a lousy bill quickly #
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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Semester Reviews - Final Day

And now we arrive at the final day. I have to say, I think if we had to do these the old way we'd fall over dead. The new way is so much easier and we're still tapped out.

Tuesday Morning

We begin with Senior TD Naomi...


... who still doesn't know what the whole 452 thing is about.

Next is Junior LD/PM Joe...


... who has likely chosen the most paperwork intensive career combination.

Then we have newly minted PM/SM Brooke...

...very color coordinated.

And then we have Junior PM/SM Elize...


... she had a very productive semester of knitting.

The morning closes up with newly minted TD Ethan...


... who apparently thought the photo was a "how not to be seen" exercise.

Tuesday afternoon

The final session begins with newly minted TD/SM Katherine...


... the first to blaze that trail under the new regime.

The last PTM crit photo of the semester goes to Senior PM/SM Chapel...


... who woulda had a better board, but her car got broken into.

Ducks Are Supposed to Quack

This is more of a squeak...

FANTASY OR REALITY WEEK 14 MATCHUP BOX SCORE

Make Room For Ducklings Canarsie Chiefs
PLAYER PTS PLAYER PTS

Ben Roethlisberger 9 David Garrard 7
Mike Bell 0 Steven Jackson 4
Julius Jones 3 Fred Jackson 11
Steve Smith 7 Kevin Smith 7
Reggie Wayne 4 Larry Fitzgerald 2
Derrick Mason 15 Marques Colston 11
Antonio Gates 10 Heath Miller 5
Vikings D/ST 7 Saints D/ST 2
Matt Prater 3 Nate Kaeding 8
TOTALS : 58 TOTALS : 57

Shorties

  • 14:00 RT @WDUQ_News: Mayor Ravenstahl has asked council to hold tuition tax for one week saying progress is being made in talks with universities. #
  • 16:25 RT @WDUQ_News: Council once again holds tuition tax. Issue will come up for vote again Monday. #
  • 17:47 Listening to XRT at my desk - having CSSI flashbacks #
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Semester Reviews - Day Three

Back from the weekend and more Semester reviewing to do.

Monday - morning session.

We begin with newly minted TD Charley...


...The world does need more Muppet wrestlers.

Next up, newly minted PM/SM David...


... I believe that Muppet would kick the wrestler Muppet's butt (if they have butts).

Moving on to TD/LD Matt...


... who has been searching for an ethically flexible image host.

Monday afternoon session.

We kick off with the PTM Classroom's resident PM/SM Nicole...


... who apparently overcame a predisposition to hate all things TD.

And then newly minted PM/SM Chris...


... with the Muppet labeled "Bad Motherfucker" (ok, really it wasn't).

And we complete the day with newly minted TD Jacob...


... nice that someone still dresses up the day.

Shorties

  • 11:58 Semester Reviews - last day - morning session #
  • 15:21 Last... Crit... Session... #
  • 15:27 The bar is raised: yfrog.com/4ah4hvj #
  • 17:39 @ellenjuhlin not interactive, no #
  • 17:40 @bpeoples one composite projection - and at other times appeared that way #
  • 17:40 @tcschwa always welcome to come back and meet the troops #
  • 17:41 @jkrall I'd bn thinking abt ths - in a slightly difft composition - 4 a long time. Truth B told I'm not sure it's ready 4 prime time #
  • 17:45 @aerdin could be #
  • 17:57 @aerdin @bpeoples @ellenjuhlin @jkrall it is worth noting that the board is only half the battle #
  • 18:08 Contact your Senator, let them know you will remember the lack of a public option next time at the polls #
  • 18:42 Grades entered... finally #
  • 21:06 This amateur hour shit is r eally going to kill me #
  • 22:33 RT @nickhac: The only good thing about censorship is ██████ and █████████. #NOCLEANFEED (via @EFF) #
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Shorties

  • 11:22 Semester reviews - 6 of 9 #
  • 12:35 That was swell. #headdesk #
  • 15:11 Afternoon semester reviews. #
  • 17:18 Carps with frickin laser beams: yfrog.com/4fgi1sj #
  • 01:00 @scoutfinch2271 but how do you really feel? #
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Monday, December 14, 2009

Shorties

  • 14:26 Home repair day two - I shall survive (perhaps I have lowered the bar too far) #
  • 16:20 @aerdin shower tile. Not really something that often comes up on stage, and even if it did you wouldn't do it right. #
  • 16:21 Fairly certain the Steelers won't lose today. #
  • 17:31 Let set 24 hours. Don't have to tell me twice. #
  • 17:31 Mac people - if there isn't one built in, is there a recommended web cam? #
  • 22:50 First round of gifts - a helicopter, a sweater, Steelers sweatshirt & hat, and a gift card. Not to o shabby. Thanks everyone! #
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Sunday, December 13, 2009

Desert Rain

We interrupt the crits photos to bring you a project from the Technical Direction III class.

A few years ago I was reading this book: The Year's Best Science Fiction: Ninth Annual Collection. There's a story in it called Desert Rain which particularly caught my attention. The top of this story involves an artist constructing a kinetic sculpture meant to reproduce the sound of a rainstorm:

Teresa looked up at the framework of welded steel tubing. It stood nine feet tall and just over six feet on a side. Within the framework, steel tracks snaked above and below one another in seemingly random patterns, forming a gleaming tangle. At regular intervals along the tracks, lines of one inch ball bearings waited to be released. Teresa pulled the string that dangled from the chute at the top of the sculpture, and closed her eyes to listen.

With the faint whisper of metal scraping against metal, a gate opened and freed the first ball, which rattled along the grooved surface of the track. As the ball rounded the first curve, it struck a trip wire and released two more balls. Each of these in turn freed more balls, until dozens were rolling down the tracks with a sound like faraway thunder.

The music started slowly, building as the balls rumbled down the tracks. The first ball struck a series of tuning forks, and three high notes rang out. Another ball rattled across a section of metal reeds, then clattered through a maze of gates. Every ball followed a different path: ringing bells, striking chimes and bouncing off tuning forks.

When the first ball reached the gathering basket, the sound began to lessen. As others followed the first, the sound faded entirely.

With her eyes still shut, Teresa shook her head. The music was not right; it was not even close. She wasn't sure anymore exactly how the composition should sound, but she knew this was not it. The piece sounded too mechanical, too predictable. In her proposal, she had promised the Santa Fe Arts Commission a sculpture that conveyed the essence of water, the rush and flow of it - a waterless fountain for a desert town. She wanted music that would remind people of rain drumming on a tin roof or the roar of a breaking wave. Instead, she had the hum of trucks on the freeway.

Every now and then when I read something or see something I just hear in my head "Well, you have to DO that!" This was one of those times, and so this passage became a project for my old Tech Design I class.

The first class to make the undertaking underachieved impressively. They managed to get some sounds together - I mean find some things that made sounds that they might be able to use, but that was all. The results were so unfortunate that the assignment went into the "perhaps not a great idea" folder never to be heard from again.

This year with about a month left in the semester I gave the Technical Direction III class their choice of assignment for their last project. I gave them every project I had ever given at that level that they already hadn't had to choose from My original thought was that this would be the inaugural time through the "Rube's Revenge" project, but for some reason they didn't bite. They could have picked the Cher Cages, the 1776 Shutters, the Trap Door Hanging, I even threw in the DNC Railings among others; but the one they chose was the Mechanical Rainstorm.

The group this year managed to finish although the sound portion got a lot more emphasis from them than the visual portion:


They went to great lengths to score the soundscape and then work out the math and the mechanics to make it go:


The project makes you research the actual sound, come up with "instrumentation" to reproduce the sound, compose a "score," come up with the physicality to mechanically sequence the score, and then fabricate the whole thing such that it works. It's no small task. This group did a fine job.

I have a video, with decent audio, so you can get the idea but really it doesn't do it justice. The ambient noise is much more present on the film and some of the very high end crunchiness is lost - plus there isn't much to look at. But some evidence is better than no evidence:



Overall a tremendous effort. Maybe if I do it again I will ask them to think more about the visual element of the thing, but maybe not. In any case "well done" all around.

Shorties

  • 19:35 Temporarily defeated by ever expanding home improvement project. Hold the line! #
  • 20:17 @aerdin close enough #
  • 23:03 upgraded Thunderbird - now wondering if it was a good idea - probably should have wondered first #
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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Semester Reviews - Day Two

On to day two and the undergrad jumble.

Morning session.

We begin with newly minted PM/SM Liz...


Continue with Senior PM/SM Alana...


... who is quite certainly ready to fall in.

On to newly minted PM/SM Hannah...


and then Senior TD Bryan...


... who is going to try to draw relevant things, not just cool ones.

Round out the morning with Senior PM/Scene Designer Candace...


... who seems to have decided film and TV will be her route.

Afternoon session.

Just one person from PTM in the afternoon, junior PM/SM Kevin...


... rocking the Jude Law "Sherlock Holmes" look.

More Monday.

Shorties

  • 10:31 Crits - day two - am session #
  • 11:21 My tweets are all over @giantspatula's board. FERPAFAIL #
  • 12:47 @aerdin is there a wrong time for tweets? #
  • 12:47 Sushi lunch? I think so. #
  • 14:13 Mechanical Rainstorm - 1:30 - Scene Shop #
  • 15:47 Semester Reviews - second day - second session #
  • 17:28 Second semester review day complete. #
  • 22:35 BW3 Monroevil le #
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Friday, December 11, 2009

Fall Semester Reviews - Thursday - Grad Day

So it is semester review time again. In the fall we do the first day as an "all grad day" because it restores some group adhesion that the scramble crits inherently defeats (it's amazing to me how different the process is from when I started). Since we're capped at 15 people/session these days by geography, and at the moment we have more than 30 grads (outstanding) we had to do three sessions Thursday.

Session One.

First up this time around is Grad 2 TD Sam...


... he had a full semester, but we didn't really turn it on. We'll try to agitate him more in the Spring.

Next up is Grad 2 PM/SM Cody...


... he got one of those "Not Insane" stamps like Homer got on the Simpsons. Must be nice to be sure.

Middle Session

First in the middle session is Grad 1 PM/SM Calvin...


... who got to do a show via Twitter this semester.

Next is Grad 1 PM/SM Devorah...


... who got more than her fill of Kevin class.

And then Grad 1 TD Tom Strong...


... who is finding a house is just like a boat* except it doesn't go anywhere.

Afternoon session

Session three begins with Grad 2 PM/SM Danielle...


... who set personal records for hours spent in the building.

Next is Grad 2 TD Jimmy...


... whose feedback nearly sent me to the hospital.

And then lastly Grad 1 PM/SM Brian...


... bringing order to his crit through architecture.

There were shoes. I'll do a round up at the end.

* a boat being a hole in the water where you throw your money. Did you know that BOAT stands for "Bust out another thousand"?

Shorties

  • 10:23 @aerdin they saved money by not paying for the R #
  • 10:23 Semester Reviews - Grad Thursday -1 of 3 #
  • 11:42 First session nearly over. Not sure if I'm going to do shoes. #
  • 12:41 @backstagejobs days like that always made me wonder why I did #
  • 14:15 Crits, day one session two #
  • 17:20 Thursday crit session 3 of 3 #
  • 17:56 yfrog.com/au17kuj #
  • 18:51 Day one done #
  • 18:52 @tcschwa why wouldn't I believe you? #
  • 20:52 Rock Bottom #
  • 00:22 Good guys making the playoffs seem unlikely. #
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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Shorties

  • 12:51 Crew grading meeting #
  • 16:16 Academic Action Meeting #
  • 22:38 Parade - of course. The Troupe is on TV #
  • 02:08 @euromandy you whiff, you lose. Can't be the pig guy and miss on pork belly #
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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Shorties

  • 14:32 First post--final-final exception request #
  • 14:53 @scoutfinch2271 when people got tired of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer #
  • 16:20 I thought I'd reached the point in the day where I could no longer avoid actual work. Thankfully I was mistaken. #
  • 17:09 Maximum procrastination threshold achieved #
  • 17:56 Anyone going home for the holidays think they can bring me back some of this: bit.ly/8avwDC #
  • 18:50 @giantspatula< /a> wasn't invited :-( #
  • 20:23 Killed another one: yfrog.com/37e2pj #
  • 21:57 @jkrall it'll be cold #
  • 22:16 Giving an uncharacteristic number of A's #
  • 22:16 @giantspatula can't - Mrs. B is ill. Have to go home. #
  • 02:05 @jkrall a heated MMTSP might overcook the broth, and the tortilla strips could get soggy. #
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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Duck L'Orange

FANTASY OR REALITY WEEK 13 MATCHUP BOX SCORE

Make Room For Ducklings Farrell Kats Farrell

PLAYER PTS PLAYER PTS

Jay Cutler 9 Tom Brady 18

Mike Bell 3 LaDainian Tomlinson 14

Jamal Lewis 0 Pierre Thomas 7

Steve Smith 11 Cadillac Williams 10

Reggie Wayne 4 Roddy White 16

Derrick Mason 1 Wes Welker 16

Antonio Gates 16 Spencer Havner 0

Vikings D/ST -2 Giants D/ST 9

Matt Prater 15 Neil Rackers 12

TOTALS : 57 TOTALS : 102

Shorties

  • 13:44 Medea strike #
  • 13:49 Not likely to answer emails that start "dear educator" #
  • 15:07 Schemewear is in: yfrog.com/4frd3lj #
  • 15:59 @giantspatula WTF #
  • 19:33 Hmm, hard to grade what I do not have. #
  • 21:01 Just set the final, final, FINAL, deadline for my class' last project. 24 hours, clock is ticking. Here's hoping they don't need them all. #
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Monday, December 07, 2009

Random Photos

I guess one of the few things that continues to fuel the blog is that I now have a decent camera on my phone. Here's some pics that have been accumulating:

Mrs TABNI did a gig a few weeks back where she did some "seasonal" lighting for a mall downtown


They are very careful here in Pittsburgh to not say "Christmas" season, in fact, the shopping kick off is called "sparkle season."


Here's a picture of my Dad and me from Thanksgiving at my in-laws...


We were really happy he was able to make it. He's got a couple of broken ribs and cracked vertebrae from a fall (and I think from being older). The doctors have him in that Darth Vader rig to try to allow the wounds to heal. To talk to him it seems like he'd rather do without it. Should be done with it in like four weeks. Fingers crossed.

After the holiday we went to a Pacers game. I've now seen the Dallas Mavericks live more than any other NBA team. I'm not sure how that happened. Here's a banner in the lobby at Indy:


It's a nice building. Here's a shot of the floor:


The Pacers lost impressively.

When we got back, my Technical Direction III class helped out on a project for the Studio for Creative Inquiry...


The guy with the camera is doing a proof of concept video for an art project he's talking about. I sounds like he wants to suspend someone from the back of a truck. Guess we'll see on down the line. My kids did a great job.

Last Technical Direction I class:


I felt compelled to write that on the board as I anticipated swearing, talking about sex, some poor opinions about collaboration, some questionable business practices and other things generally required from a career in the business. Years ago the teaching center observed me and told me such things might make students uncomfortable. Of course, they would probably also say forcing a student to elect to leave is also stigmatizing. If I were allowed to say "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" I would.

Over the last month I read in several peoples tweets and status updates that they were waiting hours for H1N1 vaccinations.


I waited 9 minutes.

This is my cat Freya:


She was really close to the lens in a fairly dark room. Studies tell us that camera phones were specifically designed for the photographing of cats, so there you go (also, in hindsite this photo may be sideways).

The 09-10 Schemewear came in today:


That's multiple shoe-contest winner Alana finally feeling like part of the "Boys and Naomi Club." She doesn't actually start her Scheme assignment for several months, but I like to include everyone. We did coveralls this year. The vests were feeling kinda done and I think these are cooler. Not sure we'll go again though as sizing becomes a significant issue with this garment. I didn't want them to know what we were getting so I got some help from the costume production people to guess sizes. It came out alright, but could have been better (and I have to do one supplemental order for someone that was taller than we thought). I'll try to get better pics a little later on.