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Sunday, November 8th, 2009
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I'm working on a film: "Unsolved Ghosteries." Written and directed by me. I also play the ghost.
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Monday, November 2nd, 2009
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I have noticed that this journal is starting to fall by the wayside. I don't like that fact, as I see this journal as a valuable learning resource to slowly improve my writing skills. In the about 4 or 5 years I've written on here I've go from seeming like a slobbering retard to just a regular retard. Like one you could show off in front of a celebrity to make it seem like he or she cares.
Anyway, I want to continue this, but Facebook and Twitter seem to be better outlets for useless day-to-day information, funny videos, and just general social networking. Perhaps I lead a sheltered life, but nothing really happens in my day that requires more than 140 characters to describe... if at all.
So I'm going to change the focus here a little bit. I've noticed that I make little observations about human nature, the nature of being, and other philosophical concepts all the time. My inner monologue is very talkative, and maybe it would be nice to pin some of those conversations down and express them.
So, every once and awhile, I'll write a short essay about something. A topic from my own lonely, quasi-nihilistic perspective. An outsider looking in. Perhaps it'll be thought-provoking, pathetic, whatever. We'll see how it goes.
I'll probably write one later this week, since I am now unemployed and suddenly have freetime. Also a Dr. Helmig. Good lord am I falling behind on that.
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Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
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Sunday, September 27th, 2009
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It's funny how my brain becomes obsessed when there's a problem to be solved.
Two months ago I bought a newer car. A Jeep Cherokee, just like my old one. But it was missing some nice features my old car had: cruise control, overhead console, and all-wheel drive.
I figured I could live with it. Just accepting that having no oil leaks or rattly interior was a good trade off. But, no. It turns out I really want those things. Not knowing the outside temperature is annoying, not having cruise control is annoying, and AWD is really nice to have when the streets are partially slick.
While I am very handy, I actually don't like playing mechanic. Nothing is more horrible or soul-sucking than working on a car. And I don't like retrofitting. I do it out of necessity, because I can't have something that's not perfect. So I find myself at the local junk yard scavenging parts and ripping out wiring harnesses from dead cars.
Well, after a month-long scavenger hunt, my car has cruise control and an overhead console. Hooray. I now know the outside temperature and the MPG (compass too.) I can now go on a trip and be rest assured that my knee isn't going to be destroyed by having it locked on an accelerator pedal for several hours.
That just leaves one more item on my to-do list: the all-wheel drive. This little upgrade entails swapping the transfer case- a gear box connected to the transmission that probably weighs around 80 pounds. It's held on by only 6 bolts, but I foresee a miserable afternoon in the dirt, under a car, and covered in grease. Casually swearing at the one bolt that is out of reach or stripped.
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Friday, September 4th, 2009
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Well I sold my old car this week. That was quite a sad moment. Me and that car have had some really great adventures... it's gonna be quite a daunting task to get to the same state with my new car.
Now, I know some of you will say "Oh ho ho, your new car will be just as good. A few road trips and you'll feel the same way."
No, listen... I bought that car when I was 18. That was my first car... my first taste of real freedom. And I took FULL advantage of that. I traveled hundreds of miles for no reason, chased tornados, explored the Rocky Mountains, explored California, explored Utah, nearly flipped it end-over-end in Moab, was stranded for a whole night in 10 feet of snow on some backcountry pass, and once even out-maneuvered the police. No, my friends. That car was no more a car than the starship Enterprise is a plastic model. It was an experience, a symbol. If only to me.
If I had money I would keep it, and maybe even restore it. But sadly I don't. And entropy being what it is, it was quickly becoming an unnecessary distraction from my college studies. So I sold it to a new family for $1400. Hopefully the "Mighty Mopar" will be just as good to them as it was to me. And, who knows, maybe produce a lengthy list of new adventures.
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Saturday, August 29th, 2009
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First week of school is complete. The most notable of my new classes is Spanish. So my brain for the past week has resembled the following:
In other news, my little Filmmaking Club has been made official. We had a pretty good turn out for the foundation party on Friday, however there is an odd disparity in majors who attended. We had, like 3 film majors and 6 music composers showed up. This has me just a tad bit pissed-off. Other film majors, why the hell are you going to a film school if you don't want to make films in your free time? Stupid. If a math major can get interested and find the time then so can you.
Anyway, I have to attend a mandatory fundraising seminar next week to learn how to get people to give me money. Preferably lots of it. I have a film equipment shopping list that would make George Lucas cheese his pants.
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Monday, August 10th, 2009
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Well I got a new car. That was surprisingly quick. It's a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It was $3,650 and has 86,000 miles on it. Which is insane for a car this age. It is in very good condition. I lucked out.
There are of course some problems with it. One of the wheel bearings is bad (supposedly) and a few little minor problems here and there (like the power window switch doesn't work on the passenger side.) But all that could be fixed easily.
Other downsides are the transfer case isn't as nice as the one in my '91, and there's no cruise control! A modern car without cruise control! Oh, well. I'm pretty sure I can add it on later. It's not a complex system.
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Ugh. My vehicle is causing me great internal conflict.
He's the gist of it. I own an older Jeep Cherokee (1991.) It has been a fantastic car for me for the past 8 years. It has over 280,000 miles on it yet it runs better than most new cars. I wouldn't think twice about driving it to the ends of the Earth.
However, I'm afraid the years are catching up to The Mighty Mopar. For instance, the ABS system is dying, and I can't fix it because the parts just don't exist anymore. Not even in the junk yard. My choices are either to rip out the ABS and put in just standard brakes, or find someway to retrofit a newer (more reliable) system from a younger car.
But then I my minds wanders onto the thought that this car, that I'm spending so much trouble keeping in tip-top shape, has no airbags or any safety features aside from the failing anti-lock brakes. Not to mention the fact that the transmission, axles, transfer case, and front suspension are ticking time bombs until something has to be replaced, and all would be horrible jobs to do. Plus newer Cherokees have had significant structural upgrades to improve safety in the event of a side impact or rollover.
Now the next option would be to get a newer car. The nice thing about Jeeps is they depreciate heavily the first 10 years and then creep back up as they become more desirable for 4x4 project cars. So I could get a 2000 Cherokee with airbags for around $4,000 easy, and could probably sell my car for $3,000. Now, even though that sounds like a pretty decent trade-up, I have basically no money. The classic downside of being a college student. Especially a fine arts student.
So then there's another set of possibilities. I could just tear out the sick ABS system, and hope every runs all hunky-dory until I graduate in a little over a year, or I could take out some student loans and get a newer car. The latter being, in my opinion, horribly irresponsible. Yet having a newer car would come with significant benefits.
I am conflicted. My mind is running around in circles. Maybe I should just play the lottery as a 3rd option.
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Saturday, July 25th, 2009
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Decided to make a one-off composition. And, yes. A comic is on the way.
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I'm contemplating a mini summer trip. It has occurred to me that for some reason or another, I haven't gotten out enough to enjoy the summer weather.
Granted recently the "summer weather" has been near-apocalyptic and very, very wet. But, whatevs.
Now the real question is where to go. The furthest I'd be willing to travel is Yellowstone. Which is tons of fun, but I was there, like, 4 years ago, and not much has changed. It's a huge tourist destination so it's basically like going to a big city with no buildings and mooses instead of serial rapists. Though chilling out of the black sand beach of Yellowstone lake is nice.
I could also do something within the state of Colorado. There's lots of stuff in the mountains. But nothing is really sticking out in my mind as a really interesting destination. Plus most of the interesting stuff (like Rocky Mountain National Park) is only about an hour away, so it's not really exotic to me.
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Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
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You remember Legend? A little steampunk adventure show starring Richard Dean Anderson and John de Lancie. It premiered back in 1995 when UPN was a bright, shiny new network full of promise. Before it poisoned itself with desperate ratings pandering and zero imagination.
This little gem ran for only 12 episodes, but it made such an impression on me as a kid that I remembered the theme song from when it was canceled to just a few days ago when I downloaded the entire series.
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I just got back from a week-long vacation to California. The reason for going was a family reunion in Los Angeles, but we (my brother and mother) found time to do some actually fun stuff. I won't bore you with the details, so here's the relevant points:
- I found a dollar on the sidewalk in Las Vegas, put it into a slot machine, and won $15.
- Stayed at the worst hotel in Canyon Lake. The screen door to the balcony derailed and jammed the door. I lost my temper and threw it off the second story. Much to the chagrin of my family.
- I do not particularly enjoy being around my extended family, but there are a few cool people here and there. As well as some dangerous idiots.
- Drove down to San Diego to eat at some world-famous restaurant in Mission Bay. Not entirely sure why else we stayed down there, but I didn't complain. Later we drove up to Dana point and hung out on the beach.
- I finally went to Disneyland! It was very awesome. I loved the Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and especially Space Mountain. I hit Space Mountain twice.
- Hit Las Vegas again on the way home. No drama to report, though I did get sick after the all you can eat Buffet.
There are two major thoughts that run though my head after this whirl-wind adventure. First of all I was a bit surprised by what Disneyland actually is. The rides (let's face it) suck. There's nothing there you couldn't find at some two-bit amusement park. But it's the ambiance... the production design what's really special. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I think it's wonderful, it's just not what I was expecting.
Second is Southern California. It's a very pretty area, but good lord is it good to get back to Colorado. The sunlight isn't as bright (smog and humidity), you're surrounded by dead vegetation, endless concrete, and you can't get away from humanity. It's like this ceaseless subliminal noise that grates on your mind. I didn't really notice it until it stopped around Western Colorado, when everything was lush and green again.
It'd be nice if you could have Colorado's vast wilderness and discreet urban centers coupled with California's beaches and nice weather. This may be why Oregon is becoming so popular, because I think that's the closest match.
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
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What? an early comic? Yup, I'm heading out to California and I don't know when I'll be back, or if I'll have reliable internet. But you can take the next couple of weeks to come up with some questions for Dr. Helmig! (Seriously, though. Do that.)
Don't forget to send your qvestions to helmig@weeklygeekshow.com
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johnforster's journal