Aarrgghh!!

January 2005 Archives

New Look

January 31, 2005

So I redid the site. Basically I was bored of the other version, and wanted to correct some errors from the first version.

  • While I liked the navigation of the first version, it was seemingly a bit confusing. I base this conclusion on some of the paths that people took through the site.
  • I wanted to put underlines back under the hyperlinks to conform with best practices.
  • I converted all of the css font information to relative sizes.
Also, I wanted to experiment with a liquid layout format. You might have to refresh a couple times to see the difference. Feel free to drop me a line and tell me what you think, or point out any formatting mistakes.


January 31, 2005 Posted by Terrence Ryan at 9:36 PM

Meta Blogging,

Democrats Doing Something... Finally

January 26, 2005

Democrats have voted no for Gonzales for Attorney General. Not enough to win the vote, but enough to signal that the Vichy Democrats in the Senate are showing signs of becoming an actual opposition party.

Daily Kos has the story.

Good news: Biden on the list. Kennedy properly frames the argument in the sense that Gonzalez is responsible for allowing US government to justify use of torture, and that's what they're saying no to.

Bad news: Gonzalez is still going to be approved by GOP dominated Senate.


January 26, 2005 Posted by Terrence Ryan at 9:09 PM

Politics,

The Guy from the Dodge Hemi Comercial

January 22, 2005

The Guy from the Dodge Hemi Comercial

You know, the burly redheaded middle manager who for some reason needs a Hemi engine in his SUV family wagon. He yells at his wife to stop filling his son's head with the ideas about his precious Dodge Hemi. I've seen enough of these commercials that I've now come to loathe this man. He seems to personify, in my mind, the worst of the exburban white male stereotypes:

He owns a vehicle he probably doesn't need. His house and clothing makes him look more like a jackass-supervisor than a working man. He portrays himself as a strong patriarchal figure; but it's obvious that the wife is the reason, brains and controller of the house. I conclude this from the fact that the whole point of the commercial is that the non-Hemi features of the car appeal to her, and that we have seen these two in couple's therapy in another version of the commercial. This characature of a macho man would never initiate couple's therapy, or go willingly. More evidence that the guy is not the captain of his own ship. And more reason for us to cock punch him, the next time we see him.

 

January 22, 2005 Posted by Terrence Ryan at 10:31 PM

Who Needs A Cockpunchin' ?,

New Feature

I've decided to add a new feature to the my blog. It's called Who Needs a Cockpunchin' ? It's inspired by a random infograph that appeared on The Onion a couple years back.

So if you see this symbol, make sure your justice is swift and merciless. .. and violently directed at the aforementioned guy's dong. I realize that it's kinda sexist. However the only term for corresponding punishment that my friends and I were able to come up with is: 'Gina Chop and I couldn't edit up a graphic for that.

 

January 22, 2005 Posted by Terrence Ryan at 10:06 PM

Meta Blogging, Who Needs A Cockpunchin' ?,

Dear God, what is that thing?

January 18, 2005


thething My girlfriend does synchronized skating, and occasionally I get sucked into that world. I've gotten pretty used to it, however this weekend I saw something that disturbed the shit out of me. Luckily I captured an image of it. I can only describe it as an anthropomorphic chicken clown. Yes, an anthropomorphic chicken clown.

Be afraid.
 

January 18, 2005 Posted by Terrence Ryan at 12:58 AM

Random,

So You Want to Make a Movie... PART 3

January 5, 2005

An Idea

Okay, you've resolved to endure some shame and go down the path. Now you need to come up with something for your movie to be about. Why? Because invariably some one will ask you "What's your movie about?" It will also be helpful in selling it to your actors, making people want to see it, and oh yeah it helps in coming up with the story. Without an idea, you have no story, without a story, you have no script, without a script you will have a painful period of time recorded on film, and people will ask you for a temporal refund after they watch it.

So what's an idea? What makes it different from a story? An idea can usually be expressed in one sentence. It usually introduces the world in which your movie will take place, and the hook. It usually doesn't include details about the characters. A story, on the other hand usually needs more than one sentence to explain, contains cause and effect and usually has a linear structure. "This happens, so the hero does that, so the villian does this, and the hero has to choose..." More about story later.

What does an idea look like?

  1. A man has to come to face the truth that he is a superhero, and being capable of more, he is responsible to do more.
  2. We will live entirely in virtual reality, but we won't know it.
  3. A young man tries to move on with his life in the subculture of acting-wannabes in L.A.

Of course, I have to ask "Can you guess which idea is what story? As we go down the list, we see the ideas get more specific and more identifiable. Is specific better? I say it depends on your style.

If you have trouble getting started with the whole creative process than absolutely start specific, and this will give you strong momentum. But don't be afraid to deviate if you get a good idea along the way.

If you don't like being creatively limited, then go with the more general ideas. However, don't let yourself meander and not get anything done.

As a cautionary note, I would stay away from mentioning other titles unless the other story is critical to explaining yours. A parody of another story needs to mention it. Otherwise, don't do it .

Bad:

Seven meets Blind Fury in a tale about a blind samaurai master who kills people according to the seven deadly sins.

Ok:

A modern adaptation of A Christmas Carol, set in an office, dealing with a holiday party.

Now, you have an idea, you can start brainstorming about what actually happens in your work, and that's the story.

Here's what movies I thought these ideas referred to.

  1. Spiderman, Superman 2, Unbreakable
  2. Matrix, Existenz
  3. Swingers

January 5, 2005 Posted by Terrence Ryan at 1:08 AM

Entertainment, Film,