Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in zlebret's LiveJournal:

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Thursday, March 23rd, 2006
2:21 am	Making up for lost time. As it seems with every time I take time off (ie. spring break,) all that stuff I plan to get done never happens. Apparently, the answer is rest during the day. No matter how many hours I sleep (8-10) I still feel groggy and disconnected as though iti had only been 5 or 6 hours. But after shutting my eyes for 15 minutes, I was able to wake up and breeze through the Frost adaptation (of which I think I'll have to change very little.) Granted 6 straight hours of composition hardly seems like breezing, but I feel good about it. ta Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 18th, 2006
2:12 am	What ya get for being a smart ass. I showed up to work a few minutes early today. Some idiot lost our calculator, so I spent a few extra seconds adding the change in my drawer. There was only one person in line, so I said "Are you all set?" to which he said "I was going to say. . . I can't complain about the service here because there isn't any." I just looked at him for a second and said "I'm sorry, I think I miscounted my change, somebody will be able to help you in just a second." Never fuck with a cashier who's feeling under the weather. Especially one who can afford to be fired. Man, I need to start making these posts during afternoon happy time :) Current Mood: drowsy (Comment on this)
Friday, March 17th, 2006
11:29 am	The storm has cleared. . .kinda Feeling much better today, though I'm still wading through what feels like fallout from somebody else's mess. Because I can't seem to ever remember to buy ink from my printer, it seems reasonable to head to school to print stuff out. Only problem is, IT decided that the downtown campuses should be closed from 8 to 12 today. So I'm sitting at the Capitol Hill building now, and after I update my journal, I'll have to drive BACK downtown to turn in my paper. Somebody really needs to get reminded of who pays for all this shit to begin with. The end of the world it's not, but sometimes when the to-do list piles up, it's nice not to have to dick around with somebody else's problem in the process. At least the paper's done! yay (Comment on this)
1:37 am	I've redefined drained So after a brief panic attack earlier today about how much work I had stacked up (this was my last official day of spring break by the way,) I set to work on my econ paper (due tomorrow, oddly.)... for about 15 minutes. Poor Jamie got so sick I needed to rush her to the hospital, and there we sat for nearly 4 hours. Now it's 1:40 and I have barely enough for maybe a c- paper. Granted, I know nothing about global economics, and what little I do know depresses me. I've been up all night scouring public citizen for information on NAFTA's infamous Chapter 11 (the ability for investors to sue countries over policies which conflict with the filth they produce from Methanol to mad cows.) I really don't feel any smarter, and my sudden drive to stimulate the ol' left side of the brain has kept me from writing so much as a note of music (I should have about 85% of my concert finished, instead, I'm at like 15%) And if that wasn't enough. . . Here I am sitting patiently in the E.R. when my coworker calls me, furious that I said things about her like she doesn't do any work and that whenever I close with her, we always get out later. "First," I reply, "I haven't closed with you since October, so I really don't know how good or bad you are at closing, second of all, in 2 1/2 years, have I EVER not complained about something to that person directly when I was feeling bothered?" I honestly felt kind of insulted. Oh well, in better news, I think I'm going to focus on Frost's "Revelation" for my vocal work. The other two, "Stars" and "The Demiurge's Laugh" are on the back burner, but I WILL compose those at some point. Whether or not it be for the concert. gah, ok. . . done bitching, g'nite! Current Mood: exhausted Current Music: White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 16th, 2006
12:51 am	Settled on Frost I've narrowed it down to a few Frost poems that I would like to work on for the moment. Singers shouldn't be a problem to find, I just need to think of which one will be the easiest to write. I only have two complete vocal/choral pieces under my belt, so this might be a challenge, I just can't seem to focus on anything else right now. It's a fascinating process though. If I find myself between film jobs, I would love to write a concert that focuses on a single poet... Or perhaps just a series of haikus (which worked well for my choral piece.) This really seems to cement the concert that composers tend to work better with someone else's words, unless that composer is Wagner. I mean, one could argue that songwriters do it all the time, but songwriting, and composing concert work are two very different animals. That's not to slight the art of songwriting, which I have a level of respect for all on it's own. It's a process I would enjoy learning, and given the time to tinker with ideas, maybe even get good at it. (So peace to all the songwriters out there!) Current Mood: and unintelligible (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 15th, 2006
7:50 pm	Writer's Block! Ever have one of those days where you have the hideous sort of writers block that consists of just too many ideas passing through your head at once? I'm starting to think that's my problem, that and not enough sleep. I feel too worn out to do anything too productive anymore. Now I could sleep for 10 or 15 minutes and get my head straight, but it always feels like I'm wasting time. . . I truly am my own worst enemy. There's also a certain level of anxiety writing for players who I can't pay. If they're doing me a favor, they could just up and flake out if they wanted to, leaving me completely screwed! Oh well, back to work Current Mood: frustrated (Comment on this)
Monday, March 13th, 2006
4:16 pm	Good night, and Good Luck I finally got around to watching that movie last night, and I have to say if George Clooney ever wanted to give up acting, he'd have a hell of a career as one of the best directors of his time. This is no flash in the pan, anyone who's seen "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" knows that. Here is a guy who is clearly in love with the process of making films, just look at the attention to detail, the stylistic choices he makes. . . not to mention his eye on the social and political climates of this society, very strong work! I love who his films aren't designed as starring vehicles for himself a la Clint Eastwood (granted, I loved Million Dollar Baby,) but rather his presence in both movies were simply to raise funds. . . in other words "Hey, I'm a famous actor and they want a famous actor in this movie before they'll fund it, problem solved." I could go on for hours. But I won't. Rent this movie on Tuesday, netflix it, do what you've got to do, see this movie. Oh, and on that note, Joss Whedon has stated that he's nearly completed with his Wonder Woman script. Maybe not as sociologically poignant as GN&GL, but when the guy responsible for Buffy brings us an amazon with a golden lasso, I'm there! Current Mood: creative Current Music: They Might Be Giants - Wearing a Raincoat (Comment on this)
Sunday, March 12th, 2006
10:51 am	No Sympathy for the Devi--customer So last night at the video store was pretty damn busy, and while I'm helping this great big line of people, I can kind of hear this guy arguing with my boss over a shit ton of late fees. He ends up paying $140 (HOLY SHIT) and leaving in a huff. About a half hour later some lady (his wife?) calls me, and straining to be polite starts saying "I know it was our fault, but I just wanted to let you know that we'll be switching to netflix and more people are going to do that. . . " I didn't really listen to most of it, she went on for about 2 minutes, I passed the phone around so all my co-workers could hear it. Then I heard a pause so I figured I should get back on the phone and pay attention, so I simply said "alright" not knowing what she was looking for, to which she says "Well, I know you probably don't care, but just think about this when you're out of a JOB!" I simply said "What, and leave all this? bye" Anywho, that was amusing, back to work! :D Current Mood: sleepy (Comment on this)
2:07 am	If I had a tumor, I would name it Hollywood Something about writing music puts me in a semi-meditative state, and getting a call from work to show up early most certainly shatters it. My boss couldn't seem to grasp why I was upset today. I could've said no, but that's just not cool considering how many people quit in the surrounding area in the last 36 hours. I hate ranting in the journal anymore, but it just feels like talking to a brick wall some days. "No, you may not schedule me now." "Why? what are you doing?" "It's really none of your concern, I simply need that time off." "I don't understand." I don't even explain that I spend my time writing anymore because I may as well say "I need that day off so I can run for President of the United States. . . a few years early!" Anywho, off to bed Tomorrow's post shall be all puppies and sunshine. Current Mood: drained (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 11th, 2006
2:59 pm	Lazy day 2 hours until work, I suppose I could compose a bit. . . I wrote a whole second of music yesterday (yay me!) but seriously, deadlines suck. I did manage to get my lazy ass out for a walk today. Living as close as I do to the sound leaves me no excuse not to enjoy a little scenery before I go to work. But now I'm tired again. Current Mood: artistic (Comment on this)
Friday, March 10th, 2006
3:08 pm	Great News for the concert! I have a cellist! I hope this is a good omen, now I just need some more players, and maybe some music for them to play. The electronic/piano solo is going well, though I think I'm going to change it to a flute. The problem with filtering sound and removing partials is you get a very claustrophobic feeling, as if you were listening to the sound underwater, or from another room, I imagine the flute might tip the balance in my favor... or maybe I should just work on my mix a little bit more. . . but anyways, Cello! happy! Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 9th, 2006
6:45 am	Chuckle This warmed my heart. Serenity listed #1 in the top 6 sci-fi/fantasy tv show to movie adaptations according to scifi.about.com, beating out such titles as Wrath of Kahn. But upon deeper thought, it occured to me that there ain't really a lot to choose from in that specific department. Also the Muppet Movie and Wallace and Gromit seemed to show up as well which gives me pause about the author's interpretation of sci-fi/fantasy, not to mention the distinction between tv show and tv short. Oh well, It's always nice to see that movie on lists like that. Current Mood: sick (Comment on this)
5:22 am	Turtle Power! I remember reading some years ago that John Woo was going to making a CG Ninja Turtles movie. Now, this never panned out (and taking a look at Woo's american films thus far [Face/Off was decent,] not such a big loss,) and it seemed that the film would never come to fruition. But now it's official, the Hollywood Reporter um.. reports that some fella named Kevin Munrow will be making this CG film for a 2007 release with supervision by TMNT's co-creator Peter Laird. I personally can't wait for this thing! Upon doing a little research, I can't seem to find out much about Munrow's work other than he's a writer on an all-star animated flick called "Cat Tale." Frankly, seems a lot like Shark Tale, Robots, Madagascar, just about any non-pixar CG film that comes out these days. But we'll see. Hopefully this can boost Vanilla Ice's fallen career! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 7th, 2006
2:30 pm	How odd It's 6:30, I went to bed at like 1:45, and I feel much more refreshed than, say, yesterday when I went to bed at 2:15 and woke up at 10:45. . . makes no sense, I've barely started my coffee even. Speaking of which, 5 years living in Seattle and I never knew of or ventured into the spice shop at Pike Place Market. Damn. They have every spice and blend of coffee/tea known to man that they will grind for you in-house. Ah I love this town. Current Mood: rejuvenated (Comment on this)
1:10 pm	The sun left, the morning lied to me. it's rainy and dreary, and instead of Advance Analysis, it's off to Global Econ. It's a fascinating course, don't get me wrong, but it can be a hair depressing. It seems as soon as I realized I was hungry and finally got some breakfast that the energy left me IN A HURRY. Oh well, Tuesdays and Thursdays are draining and I was a fool to expect otherwise. I suppose I should tack on a few thoughts to this morning's rant. Mind you, this isn't something I agonize over, but when somebody like George Lucas comes a long and states something matter of factly without first considering the causes, it makes me a hair upset. Blockbusters were insanely popular because of the attention to ALL details. And even though those kinds of film exist today, that doesn't change the fact that films like Episode 1 have made us afraid of expensive films. The studio wants what's safe, but we want what's bold and original and strong. Jaws had that, the original Star Wars trilogy had that, and Close Encounters had that. The films today that still have it don't have a chance, either because people just don't know enough about it (Serenity,) or they're afraid of yet another remake (King Kong.) I think that just about sums up THAT topic. Time for Econ! :D (Comment on this)
7:36 am	A quick rant, if I may. The following quote comes from imdb.com: "Movie mogul George Lucas predicts Hollywood will soon start shifting away from mega-budget blockbusters in favor of making more independent films for less money. Alongside Steven Spielberg, Star Wars creator Lucas is cited as being chiefly responsible for the blockbuster phenomenon that has gripped the movie industry for the last three decades. But he now believes big-budget films can no longer be profitable and are going out of fashion, as evidenced by this year's Academy Award nominees, including independent movies Crash and Good Night, And Good Luck. Lucas tells the New York Daily News, "The market forces that exist today make it unrealistic to spend $200 million on a movie. Those movies can't make their money back anymore. Look at what happened with King Kong. I think it's great that the major Oscar nominations have gone to independent films. Is that good for the business? No - it's bad for the business. But movie-making isn't about business. It's about art. In the future, almost everything that gets shown in theaters will be indie movies. I predict that by 2025 the average movie will cost only $15 million." -end The blockbuster is not dead Georgie boy, they're just not being made with the same standards of old, and that wicked evil "piracy" is making fans more conservative with their wallets. They wanna support the adventures of little Ani and the dark side, but are not sure that $10 a person is worth it. See, your hollywood system has a terrible business model. You impose strict guidelines on the showing of your films, and make the theater pay hideous amounts of rent to keep it. Then you don't let them keep but a small cut of their ticket sales, leaving them to jack up the prices so it seems more profitable than it actually is. When you look at it, George, like that, owning a theater sounds just as profitable, if not less so than running an independant popcorn stand. And hey, if the "Mirrormask"s and the "Scanner Darkly"s of this world can exist under $10 million in the making while still exhillariting their audiences. . . then yeah, independant films have won. Or maybe y'all who make blockbusters can take a hint and not spend like drunken sailors on huge productions. And now I'm going to miss the bus, ta! \ Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
Monday, March 6th, 2006
3:33 pm	Monday, almost asleep. Man what a weekend! Saturday was a gorgeous day. Jamie and I got up early enough to have brunch at the 5-spot on Queen Anne (yum.) Work, however, let's just say our evening-mid was in Portland, so there was about 15 minutes between 4 and Midnight that I wasn't ringing somebody up (not counting my half-hour lunch.) Flash forward to Sunday, which is a long rant which I will not even begin (I already deleted half of it.) But what a goddamn gorgeous day. If only it wasn't so windy. I started a new piano solo over the weekend. It's going to have a special electronic accompaniment. I found this little 8 sec. segment from a solo cello piece I did back in 2003, which if I filter out all but a few of the partials, I get this very etheral church bell like sound (from the plucked strings.) Ah, music is fun. Which reminds me, I need to hire a cellist. Any takers? heh heh. Seriously though, out of an hour concert, I don't want to be all piano music, that'd be simply dreadful, especially considering how cool my Jr. Recital ended up being. (maybe mp3s would be an order. . .) Well, all in good time. Back to work. Current Mood: tired (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 28th, 2006
3:04 pm	One clock to rule them all! I'm really getting tired of Cornish and their inefficient method of keeping time. I imagine somebody checks their wristwatch ONCE and then sets all the clocks accordingly, therefore insuring that no matter how fast I run, I will never ever ever ever ever catch the bus on time, therefore waiting a half hour for the next one while bitching about it on livejournal. Yay! Current Mood: frustrated Current Music: Dust Brothers - Fight Club sdtrk (Comment on this)
Monday, February 27th, 2006
3:15 pm	Inventory Sucks So once every long while, Hollywood Video and it's loving staff must go through and scan (TWICE)every movie in the store to see what's missing and what's not. Our inventory being in the neigborhood of 18,000. This takes about 3 hours, but then stuff gets missed and instead of assuming they're stolen, we spend another 2 hours looking for them. Driving home from work at sunrise really fucks with your head. It is kinda fun to see what folks steal, generally the most horrible shit. Ghetto Dawg 2, Without a Paddle, White Chicks, Taxi, Fantastic Four were among the titles we were forced to say "bye forever," to. Plus going to work the next day makes anyone a little grumpy. I was rewarded, however, by this ignorant couple who rented "Rent." First they said that it was scratched, and when told that it could be exchanged for the same title, the girl says "The other thing, we got about 10 minutes into it and it was just singing. . ." Upon looking at the disc, it was pretty clear they scratched it up so we'd give em' a freebie. That made my day. Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
3:07 pm	Metasynth rocks! Gosh, it feels like I've been waiting for 2 years for UBIsoft to release this program for OSX... oh wait a minute! All I can say is: worth...the...fucking...wait. My two previous favorite features (Spectral Analysis and Image Synth (drawing sound) are just as good, but now I have something all new to geek out about. SPECTRUM SYNTH! Take any sound of any length you want, run the spectral analysis and this program chops up the spectral variations into segmants that you can then stretch, compress, pitch shift, randomize, hell... it'll fetch your fucking coffee and slippers for you if your mac has arms. Other than that the weekend was ok. Current Mood: impressed (Comment on this)