Shorties

• 16:15 Government Inspector install #
• 19:22 Reviewing Thesis Requirements #
• 20:23 Installs always remind me how much more I should be doing. #
• 21:55 BW3 Monroeville #

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Theater companies we were sorriest to see go

Time Out Chicago: "1. Apple Tree Theatre. The well-loved Highland Park troupe didn’t survive the January 2009 death of its founder, Eileen Boevers; the theater announced its demise in September."

Shorties

• 10:25 I know it isn't February yet, but it is darn cold today #
• 12:04 Studiocraft CAD - more hatching, PLINE, PEDIT, ARRAY #
• 12:04 RT @ebertchicago: Most Americans agree NASA's cost is around 24% of the national budget. j.mp/aEzdxy #
• 14:55 RT @mmaction: (Offensive) Pictures From The Tampa Tea Party Protest bit.ly/bBxW7L #p2 #tcot #
• 15:38 @aerdin maybe they're super cool #
• 16:03 Was thinking about an early exit today. Looking less so :-( #
• 16:26 @mmaction "negative solutions?" drilling ANWR, privatizing social security, private security contractors, binding arbitration... #
• 18:49 David says: "Finish the build during the build." #
• 19:19 @backstagejobs is there some advantage to being "press" #

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Shorties

• 19:06 Scenic Fabrication - More Materials #

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Would It Have Been So Hard

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of our president. Last night though, there were several moments that made me feel a little less than. Of all of them, this one stuck out the most:

”With all due deference to separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests –- including foreign corporations –- to spend without limit in our elections. (Applause.) I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. (Applause.) They should be decided by the American people. And I’d urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to correct some of these problems.’”

Did he really need to call out the Supreme Court like that? I mean I am sure some people will call it "bold" or something; necessary, responsible maybe. But in a speech where he takes congress to task for partisan politics and goes on about wanting to work with the legislative branch do we really need a shot across the bow of the court?

Really it seemed to me a little unfair. The court is usually rendering judgment based on the case in front of them. We always want to hear that we are getting judges that will vote against their personal belief when the law and the evidence points the other way. Is it too much to assume that even though the decision overturns prior decisions that it might still be correct for this case? Maybe the judges are just as upset about the ramifications as the rest of us, but their responsibility to the law doesn't allow them to be as reactionary as the average person.

So what I was wondering was, would it have been so difficult to have just said in the middle, right after he said he didn't think corporate money belongs in our elections (and that's simplifying things right away, yes? the case is about advertising I think) that he's fairly certain that's not what the court wants either and that it is now on Congress to craft a law to protect elections without violating the law. Make the problem the problem rather than making the court look like the problem.

Things are tough all over. No reason to go poking the Supreme Court Justices when we don't have to.

Shorties

• 11:36 Trolling my address book for course content #
• 13:39 Basic PTM - Newsquiz, Prototypical Regional, Production Phases #
• 15:06 R&J too dirty? Really? bit.ly/bAanLr #
• 15:57 Alumni sighting: Hello Chris W #
• 16:39 @giantspatula bit.ly/aPnJNG #
• 18:03 Production Meetings #
• 19:51 Totally clueless as to where I am in my list today. Going home anyway. #
• 23:17 @euromandy cheese consuption? #
• 23:18 "even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future" #
• 23:20 I agree, Mr. President - it's time to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with patriotism. (via@SenArlenSpecter) #

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Ellipses...

I hate to admit it, but watching the State of the Union just made me sad. I just can't see the bridge between "Yes We Can!" and "See we did." I'll believe it when I see it... Was nice to see Peg after a long time, Val too for that matter... Is it possible I am being naive in thinking the actors will be able to manage to not trip coming down a flight of stairs? I mean, I'll give you - it's a TALL staircase, but it is just stairs, not K2... We're into the third week of the semester. Feels like the second because we spent all of week one in the automation cage... I'm not with the iPad naysayers; there's room for restricted devices in our lives. Still, probably won't be buying one - unless they enable tethering with my iPhone for 3G... I am pretty clearly not liking the additions to my administrative life that have come with my last promotion... During the speech I added a bunch of lefty and progressive users to my Twitter feed. I wonder how long it will be until I unfollow them... Speaking of, I really do think it is time to try to get some momentum behind February 15 as National Unfollowing/Unfriending day... I was so excited about the Caprica premiere I didn't even watch it, and the DVR didn't record it. Even without Dollhouse Friday nights are too dense... Talked to my dad tonight. I could be doing more... I am trying to remember to cover TGI tomorrow in class. Something tells me there is probably a better way for me to do that than typing it here... What happened to the Browning kid on Ax Men? I watched the first two of this season and don't think I saw him... Mrs. TANBI is ill. I hope she feels better soon...

Shorties

• 17:28 Scenic Fabrication - Newsquiz, finish exam review, materials #
• 17:29 PTM Business Practice - Newsquiz, Resumes, Infographic resumes, CVs #
• 19:20 SRC meeting #
• 19:51 PTM/Design cross option faculty meeting #

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Shorties

• 11:48 @ebertchicago or "takes responsibility" #
• 11:50 Monday doesn't so much feel like Monday when there were office visits Saturday and Sunday #
• 13:28 Basic PTM - Unit Estimating #
• 16:27 Entertainment Rigging - project assignments, Design Considerations #
• 19:28 News From the Real World Weekly Top Five: bit.ly/5Ym2kO #

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Worth a Look

Here are a few posts from the Green page that might be worth your time:

A Look Behind the Scenes of Presidential Advance

The White House: "Ever wonder how much effort goes into planning a President’s trip to, well, anywhere? So did we. Fortunately, the White House Presidential Advance team allowed us to invade their world for a couple weeks as they made arrangements for President Obama’s trip to Ohio later today."

Posted by David at 1/23/2010 04:29:00 PM

Textile Artisan - January, 2010

American Theatre Wing: "Textile Artisan Gene Mignola works closely with costume designers, taking patterns and creating fabric that ultimately conveys their vision. He explains how printing fabric has evolved over the years from designs done by hand on paper to computer-aided drawings, and from using single-color silkscreens to digital printers. He also talks about how his interest in fabrics began in childhood, the foundation for his work experience, and why he loves his job."

Posted by David at 1/22/2010 06:04:00 PM

Theatre fire codes must be heeded, but good luck finding them

Backstage at BackstageJobs.com | Life behind the scenes…: "A BackstageJobs.com user’s e-mail lead me to this discovery. This person had discovered that the theatre they were working in had no fire extinguishers. This would seem odd to pretty much any theatre person in the US, if not the world. The reasoning given by building management was that because the sprinkler system could be manually activated through pull bars, they were not required to keep portable fire extinguishers."

Posted by David at 1/19/2010 04:26:00 PM

Quick Takes: If You Liked 'High School Musical,' You'll Love Yale

Inside Higher Ed: "While Yale University does not lack for applicants, it is trying something new on the admissions recruitment front this year and has just unveiled on YouTube a video called 'That's Why I Chose Yale.' The video opens with what looks like a standard admissions briefing for would-be applicants and family members, but about one minute in, following a student's question, the admissions rep breaks into song"

Posted by David at 1/19/2010 04:24:00 PM

An Epic 22-Minute Behind-the-Scenes of Avatar

Gizmodo: "We've all heard allusions to Cameron's massive sets, motion cap system and 3D/virtual cameras used to create Avatar, but this 22-minute clip actually shows us these techniques."

Posted by David at 1/20/2010 02:36:00 PM

Shorties

• 11:15 Admissions interviews #
• 11:16 Considering instituting a system to send applicants back with a report card on their highschool theatre: "We give your season selection a D" #
• 13:02 @puffskein its not for them, its for them to take to their teachers #
• 15:46 @mipow so THAT'S why they're always playing Madonna at midnight bowling #
• 15:46 Interviewing day is done, mighta seen some keepers #

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Shorties

• 15:06 RT @revsusanrussell: #Prop8 The truth is out: it's not "protect marriage" - it's "protect bigotry" (via @mipow) #
• 17:35 @aerdin there will be more tomorrow. If only I could bring myself to do the same with my starred items, they must go back months #
• 17:35 Can only avoid the working for so long - even on a Saturday #
• 19:51 My wife has decided both of my offices need work. Perhaps I should have a design contest. #

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Shorties

• 10:44 Studiocraft CAD - lineweight, linetype, hatching #
• 10:44 Please wait while Windows wastes your tuition #
• 13:05 Option Coordinator meeting #
• 14:47 RT @mipow: wait for it....#prop8 #
• 15:18 Watching "that's why I chose Yale" bit.ly/7y1HbW #
• 20:30 Game Night #
• 23:38 Rush Limbaugh works hard every day to increase suspicion, paranoia, incivility and ignorance, and I think he knows it. (via @ebertchicago) #
• 23:39 @giantspatula like I said: it's no Caves of Androzani #

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Shorties

• 13:54 @tcschwa its hip to be square #
• 13:55 @aerdin I believe that advice is different for a fish #
• 13:56 RT @mipow: come on people lets get #prop8 trending!! #
• 13:56 RT @ebertchicago: I gotta Tweet this: "Roger Ebert doesn't give a shit." j.mp/8HqWS7 #
• 13:57 grading grading grading #
• 16:04 Scenic Fabrication - post exam review #
• 17:49 SRC Meet ing #
• 19:31 @mipow thats not going to help my self esteem #
• 19:34 @ebertchicago "Strange Days" - one of my favorites! #
• 22:05 Halftime, Rock Bottom Trivia: Tied for 1st. #

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Shorties

• 13:25 Basic PTM - Newsquiz, Estimating Paperwork #
• 18:28 Production Meetings #
• 20:27 Off to The Church Brew Works with Peg and Val. Hope it's not closed. #

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Shorties

• 14:04 Seems to have lost several students #
• 14:05 Sch of Music's Mikado Operetta begins this Thurs @ 8 pm in Philip Chosky Theatre (via @CarnegieMellCFA) #
• 14:05 @euromandy I'm actually fine with her just doing red carpets #
• 14:39 Scenic Fabrication - Newsquiz, 150 Question Diagnostic #
• 16:00 Bummer, Robert Parker is gone. Guess I'll never see the Spenser, Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall all in one book. :-( #
• 17:14 PTM Business Practice - What's this class going to be anyway? #

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Shorties

• 14:01 Basic PTM - Estimating #
• 20:11 Hmm. Church brew works closed Mondays in January. #
• 21:29 Six Penn Kitchen #

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Shorties

• 14:35 Sunday, office, why am I not surprised? #
• 15:01 @euromandy there's usually a performance on Superbowl Sunday - not this year. #couldbeworse #
• 17:48 Three hours to Inbox Zero #
• 23:48 Just put it together that I only have the one class tomorrow. #

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Random Photos

Or maybe it should be "Photo Ellipses..."

Whatever. Maybe "At Least its not Shorties"

So after New Year's me and the missus went to Fabulous Las Vegas:


We went for a walk to the new City Center. They have a Chihuly gallery there:


Seems like its getting to the point where you can't swing a dead cat in Vegas without hitting a Chihuly piece.

During our walk we stumbled across a theatre we didn't expect to be open, but it was, so we saw a show:


Leaving only "Believe" on the list of Cirque shows in Vegas I haven't seen.

On our last night we went to Fleur de lys at Mandalay Bay, Hubert Keller's restaurant. They had very nice dishes:


Chef Keller was there and even agreed to a photo with Mrs. TANBI:


We did the middle of three Chef's tasting menus. Very nice. Probably cracks our top ten, which somewhat surprisingly is really saying something.

Waiting to leave:


Always miss that sky.

Casey from FTSI basically chased me back to Pittsburgh for automation training with our kids and brand new gear.


That's day one, bright eyed and bushy tailed. Here's day four, or "my brain hurts":


I swear, if we even remember how to turn this gear on next week I will be impressed.

Thursday night we took our visitor to Rock Bottom Trivia Night - also meant we had Kevin, which was a difference maker:


That'd be @euromandy with our prize for 1st Place!

The next day it was warm, which meant the end of the icicles on our roof and also, disturbingly, the end of our picnic table:


Smash.

Shorties

• 14:41 @aerdin in the strip with the uncle SAMs, starbucks, half price books, and the luggage store #
• 14:42 Really, all of Robinson is the IKEA parking lot #
• 23:48 @aerdin but then I did know where the Bravo was #

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Shorties

• 11:11 Final automation training day #
• 16:21 Tell the FCC: Don't Let Hollywood Hijack the Internet bit.ly/8BHpDD (via EFF) #
• 16:38 First week of class, first overtime week (as if there's overtime to be had). #thatdidnttakelong #

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Shorties

• 14:35 more automation training, mow there's even sorts kinda "scenery" moving (ok, its a piece of plywood) #
• 14:35 RT @mipow: PLEASE RT we all deserve the freedom to marry! #prop8 #prop8trials #
• 14:38 @bpeoples this is more of a set box #
• 17:00 @jkrall new stuff FTSI Navigator and K-Winches #
• 20:40 Wondering where Amanda is at #
• 22:06 Wondering where Jon is at #
• 23:29 Winner wi nner chicken dinner: yfrog.com/32vo0j #

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Shorties

• 12:44 rrrrrrrrr forgot my phone #
• 12:46 and more Naviagtor training - this morning: Rules #
• 16:34 Winch drums are turning #
• 22:04 Third day of the semester, first 12 hour + day of the semester #thatdidnttakelong #
• 22:05 RT @mipow: we all deserve the freedom to marry! #prop8 #prop8trials #

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Shorties

• 13:29 Even more Navigator training. There must have been a reason we didn't buy feeder. #
• 18:23 Kevin nixed my snooze tomorrow #notcool #
• 18:24 RT @EFF: January 12 is World's Fair Use Day! Public Knowledge has live webcast eff.org/r.e87 #wfud #
• 01:11 too late to post - morning is coming on fast #

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Shorties

• 11:34 Automation training class #
• 15:18 And more Navigator training. #
• 21:25 go back three spaces #
• 21:27 @bmunroe thats the one - thanks! #
• 23:56 @jgbndaudio thx #
• 00:38 Leg Cramp! #
• 00:40 @aerdin is a unit of sound measurement #

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Shorties

• 16:30 office - late lunch - frosh crew schedule #
• 02:02 Anyone remember the names of the big architectural salvage companies in CT? #

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Shorties

• 15:38 Office. Why? Nobody knows. #
• 20:39 Waterfront... Slidey #

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Shorties

• 16:39 @aerdin IRA? Get a card, I want someone to come do that for class #
• 17:32 RT @speak_true: Fearless Love - Melissa's single from her upcoming album ow.ly/16hZJn #
• 19:01 What would you include in a Technical Theatre "Business of the Business" class? #
• 19:06 @cgbrl probably walked right by it, but didn't see it :-( #
• 19:22 @bpeoples I think we cover bidding fairly comprehensively in other classes - but I'll double check #
• 23:57 @euromandy what was the final question? #

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Ellipses...

Vegas typically does snow the right way, on the top of the mountains, off in the distance... Connect all the dots you want, profiling and searches are not ever going to be less than one step behind the next attack. Policy is the problem... What's the point of stopping the mail if they keep bringing the mail? Not sure I get it... I'm in the middle of a project requiring a complete revision that is going to come out just the way it was to begin with. It's not very satisfying that way... Seems like credit card companies are maybe making things worse than they have to. Could be time to start using more cash... Great, now all I have to do is find someone that actually knows about insurance and taxes... I'm sure it will be nice, but I can't possibly believe I need 3D Television in my home... Missed a high school buddy in Vegas by like 2 hours, bummer... I loaded the iPhone LinkedIn app. I am now quite certain I have no idea what LinkedIn is for... Coming home they had one of those millimeter scanners at the airport. They had me walk right by it... The tile grouting project appears to have entered the "never-ending" category. Today I started looking at composite bath stalls... When playing a poker machine and getting a non-paying pair and an unpaired face card which do you keep? I'm leaning toward keeping the pair... Still a lot of Steelers talk on the radio. I wonder if they know they're done for the year... You just know when this health care bill comes out of mark up it will be a blow job to corporations... When we were at Hubert Keller's restaurant in Vegas he was there and schmoozing the patrons... I've fallen way behind in my blogging. Still owe a W D 50 post... Coming home to cold and snow really makes one think about moving to another part of the country. Let me know if you come across any good opportunities in somewhat balmier surroundings... Google is paying for the wireless at the Pittsburgh Airport over the holidays - of course that service has always been free, so now I wonder if next month it will cost something... Back to school next week. We're having five days of automation training from FTSI. Maybe that will make up for the cold. I doubt it... Upon leaving Las Vegas I realized that the next event at our hotel was the AVN show. Poor planning indeed...

Shorties

• 14:19 Pointed toward the tundra #
• 19:30 airport - waiting #
• 01:26 Down. Safe. Cold. #

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Shorties

• 15:15 Sch of Music presents Gilbert & Sullivan's comic opera, The Mikado, Jan. 21-24 www.music.cmu.edu (via @CarnegieMellCFA) #
• 15:45 @frontrowcenter5 decent show - still needs work - but decent #
• 17:05 say you had to pee #
• 17:06 The Hard Rock made a few changes. Looks nice. #
• 22:54 @cgbrl musta missed it #
• 23:42 Off to sample the fare of Hubert Keller #
• 01:57 The missus and th e chef! yfrog.com/3gf55oj #
• 02:59 Good run at the slots... Almost paid for dinner. #

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Shorties

• 01:34 @aerdin impossible or expensive? #
• 01:37 Desert at Switch? Denied: "we're only seating for full dinner guests". Restaurant is half empty :-( #

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Shorties

• 09:23 No screwing around cold today #
• 16:37 Dim sum. Carts #
• 16:41 @puffskein WD50 is awesome #
• 16:44 @aerdin Dino chopsticks. Can you say laser cutter #
• 20:29 Take it from a Cubs fan, there's always next year. #
• 01:20 Impromptu theatre ticket purchase. Fingers crossed. #
• 01:21 Lemongrass - Aria #
• 03:53 yfrog.com/auh7clvj #

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Shorties

• 13:03 Going to have to learn something about video #
• 14:49 @cgbrl formats, codecs, compression. How to make the HD the flip shoots upload MUCH faster #
• 17:12 sending a blizzard of work emails #
• 17:14 @cgbrl that certainly does look like it'll do it - also looks like a lot of program for what I need #
• 21:00 End of Time - Intermission #
• 23:11 End of Time - It's no Caves of Androzani #

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One Hundred Thousand

"Are We Doing the Dancing Numbers Again?"

Another New Year's, Another First Night - Another success for Mrs. Tanbi.



This year wasn't as cold or as wet as previous years. Seemed like this was the biggest crowd we've seen.

I got some video (with our holiday gift from my sister).



It took like an hour to render and three hours to upload and process. I guess I have to learn something about video this year (but I won't make it a resolution).

Here's hoping you had a great holiday.

Shorties

• 19:43 I may having nothing to say today. #
• 00:43 Does anyone know if the FlipShare app rerenders or compresses before uploading, or is it going to send the entire file, native? #

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Shorties

• 15:28 Hanging out downtown, doing the Missus B groupie thing. #
• 18:06 Marisa sez: "I miss Avery!" #
• 18:35 Sound check. yfrog.com/1d1wgzj #
• 19:12 Kiddie fireworks, check. And we're off. #
• 20:49 What year is it? yfrog.com/4ilielj #
• 01:09 Happy New Year yfrog.com/4afc7nj #

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