millamber's mind

Update

2010-02-18T15:16:00.000-05:00

After I got home last night, I decided to try a little experiment. I brought out my scale, which is a damn liar I might add, and took my weight. 232 pounds. I want to see how not drinking soda will effect my overall weight. My thought is that I may drop a few pounds due to the lower calories I'm consuming, but I don't know how many. I'll report back each week my findings.

For the most part day 2 isn't going that badly. I figured by now I'd be a puddle on the ground, with a major headache and no energy. Turns out, I only have a slight headache, and my energy level is surprisingly normal. But we are still early on.

Weight = 232lbs
Waist size = 45in

Just A Simple Word

2010-02-17T10:53:00.000-05:00

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning for many Christians of Lent. Lent is a time of fasting and introspection leading up to Easter. It prepares the believer for the celebration of the Divine.

I personally don't observe Lent, as I'm not Catholic, or Methodist, or any other of a vast number of dogmas that recognize this period; I can however appreciate the sentiment of reflection and introspection. Sacrifice. From the Latin root "Sacra" meaning "sacred rites" and "facere" "to do, perform, make". Literally, "to make sacred". Preparation to cleanse oneself of impurities. Such is the reason for people "giving up" things for Lent.

In Google trends, "what should I give up for lent?" is the 64th most searched phrase as I type this. Bishops in Britain are urging people to give up iPods for Lent, as well as lowering their carbon footprint by eating dinner by candlelight, then sending the money savings at the end of Lent to the poor. I've seen stories of people giving up Facebook, or a favorite sweater, even masturbation for 40 days....Hollywood even chimed in with a movie about Josh Hartnett um, not gelling his hair or something, I didn't watch it, but point is that there are an infinite number of trivial things one can do without for 40 days, but I think that to really sacrifice, is to purify your body and mind, by giving up things that are detrimental to health or sanity. It doesn't have to be a big item, but it does have to be a big commitment.

My ~~many~~ one vice is soft drinks. I drink entirely too many of them. I can't stop myself, if there is a soda in the house it will not be there come morning. I drink liters of soda a day. The last time I actually counted, it was 8 or 9 20oz. bottles or glasses a day. I have gone through 3 two liter bottles of Dr. Pepper in a little over 18 hours before. I love my soft drinks.

In each of those delectable bottles, there is 17 tablespoons of sugar. Bees could pollinate my blood right now. I am overweight, generally lethargic, and addicted to things that make my body continue to pickle and give me the attention span of an ADHD fifth grader in a room full of shiny.

Which brings us, dear reader, full circle. Starting today, Ash Wednesday, until sundown on Easter Sunday, I will not have a drink of soda. I will use this time to reflect on myself, my health, and my family; I will try not to lose my mind as I go through the sugar withdrawal; and I will report back on my status. I will use this forum as my own personal sounding board, so bear with me during the next 6 weeks. My hope is that I will emerge on the other side cleansed, purged, made sacred.

"Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts."

2009-07-16T19:36:00.004-04:00

I've been reading my Shakespeare again lately and as I grow older I find myself more and more enjoying the histories, specifically Henry V. As a youth, I preferred the tragedies; Othello and Macbeth still hold a special allure for me. In fact it wasn't until college that I even started reading the histories, and that was mostly due to productions the school was doing of Richard III.

I like Henry V for the same reason most others do; the inspirational tones, the mounting suspense of battle, and the dance numbers. Ok I made that last part up, but still.

I like to draw parallels to my own life and often quote the play as the situation demands. Often I can be heard walking through the office exclaiming "Once more into the breach, dear friends..." But nothing inspires me against the overwhelming forces we all deal with every day like hearing or reading the famous St. Crispin's Day speech. The French outnumber the English 5 to 1, they are veteran troops and fresh, unlike Harry's bag of tired sore soldiers. No one would mock them if they just packed it up and came home, but the rallying cry of Henry steels his men and tempers that steel with swagger and off to win the Battle of Agincourt they go behind their inspiring leader.

WESTMORELAND. O that we now had here

But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!

KING. What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

God Save the King.

(P.S. If you haven't seen Kenneth Branaugh's Henry V do yourself a favor and watch it immediately. The following is a scene from that film which has one of the greatest choral arrangements I have heard in a long time.)

Not quite ready for Sundance yet...

2009-05-22T16:13:00.005-04:00

My brother is an amateur filmmaker and has done several small shorts featuring his children and friends. This latest one is a collaboration with me, and I had a hand in writing the script and contributing creative ideas. What do you think?

An Open Letter to the Burger King

2009-05-01T09:34:00.003-04:00

Dear Burger King,

What the f, seriously? Please tell me who is responsible for the current advertising you have deemed appropriate enough to peddle to children your kids' meal. You know the one I'm talking about, in which the King is rapping with all the gusto of a strung out white boy, in front of some hoochies pop-locking with square asses. Aw hell, here, it's this one.

Some douche in your marketing department was sitting around, smoking up and watching Spongebob when he thought, "How can I combine the two things children love the most; sex and cartoons?" Well, mission accomplished. Never mind the fact that if children continually eat your greasy, cholesterol inventions, they will end up with butts more in line with Sir Mix-A-Lot's original song, namely "round and big."

Incidentally, I just love the fact that you had to make each one of your dancers a different race, so that she can appeal to a broader genre of future pole dancers. Hell, I'm almost sure in the still shot above that I can trace the outline of a vagina. Why give them shorts at all? Just have some naked bitches straddling the Burger King riding on his giant french fry and shouting "Buy our Kid's Meal! Get a free Dora the Explorer butt plug!"

Damn, now I've given you your next commercial.

Sincerely,
Millamber

The addiction of StumbleUpon

2009-03-08T00:01:00.004-05:00

Oddly enough I found this blog ironically, while using StumbleUpon.

StumbleUpon has carried many web surfers deep in the night, into the wee hours of many mornings by offering a never ending stream of interesting randomness that is always just a click away.

It’s an adventure. Your clicks bring you to visuals and sounds you never would have expected to find on the internet. Before stumbling existed, web surfing consisted of search engines and links given to you on web forums or by friends on IM. Surfing used to be a mundane process where you knew what you were looking for and only needed to find a way to get to it.

Stumbling has brought us unseen destinations, exciting vistas of information and opinion and stupidity, the exotic dangers of a random NSFW page, and the mindless time wasting flash games we would never have found otherwise. StumbleUpon has given people a reason for being on the internet when they have nothing else to do but explore.

Parents have always told their children that it is best to take things in moderation, this also applies to the click of StumbleUpon. Most stumble addicts out there know who they are, and that’s a good first step. No more stumbling through papers and meals, no more stumbling until the crack of dawn scares you into your bed. We can enjoy StumbleUpon, but we must not abuse it. The world misses you, and we only want to see you again and we hope you are doing well.

It is the evolution of the web. We’ve moved past railways and roadways and are now flying through the internet, teleporting from destination to destination. There is a new world to explore, and its all at your fingertips, just one more click away…

But I liked hating that guy.

2009-01-29T22:33:00.003-05:00

Well, crap. I had a passion that left me feeling good; hating those infomercial salesmen. First it was Billy Mays, who has made we sit bolt upright in bed in a hotel room on more than one occasion after falling asleep with the TV on. I pride myself in that I have never purchased a single item from Billy Mays or his Chuck Norris like beard, despite him shouting at me about how good OxiClean is. The best quote I have found yet: Washington Post staff writer Frank Ahrens called him "a full-volume pitchman, amped up like a candidate for a tranquilizer-gun takedown".

But, more recently, I have turned to hating Billy's douchebaggy replacement, Vince. Vince sells products like the ShamWoW! which after further inspection is not a Warcraft Shaman Powerlevelling service. Vince has a different approach then Billy, prefering more to stare wildly into the camera and not blink you into buying whatever he's peddling.

Turns out that the not blinking thing has a source. And after reading this article from Skepchick.com I have reluctantly had to shoulder the hate I have for these guys in order to fuel the other hate I have for the Church of Scientology.

Turns out Vince is a castaway from the CoS and is using the money he makes from selling his products into paying to fight the cult.

From the article,

He filed suit against them in 2004 for ruining his movie, his life, his business, and being dickholes. I couldn’t find any information on the outcome of this lawsuit, but according to ESPN, Vince is still fighting the good fight. And he is using every dime he makes from selling ShamWows and SlapChop as well as all the proceeds from Underground Comedy to fight them.

Taking on Scientology is one of the bravest things a former member can do. The Church doesn’t take kindly to dissent. Though they claim that fair game is no longer a Scientologist policy, there are plenty of stories to indicate that fair game is still alive and well, if technically “unofficial”.

Good luck Vince.

The most awesomest job in the world

2008-12-31T16:12:00.003-05:00

OK, this guy has the best job perk I have ever read:

Surely the envy of any desk-bound office worker, Tommy Lynch has travelled over 27,000 miles this year, for his job testing holiday resort waterslides.
Mr Lynch, 29, works for holiday giant First Choice, checking the height, speed, water quantity and landing of the flumes, as well as all safety aspects.
He said: 'I do have the best job in the world. No-one believes me when I tell them what I do.

This guy flies all over the world and slides down waterslides for a living! I think the only guy that tops that is the guy who gets to body paint naked supermodels.

2008-12-15T20:04:00.004-05:00

All I wanted to do was stay home this Christmas.

My wife has to work through most of the holidays as there is a show that opens the week of Christmas. So, I innocently suggested to my family relations that, since I live in Atlanta, my father and sister in Knoxville, and my mother and brother in Charlotte, that everyone could come to our house for Christmas dinner.

You'd have thought I'd invaded Poland.

Brother didn't want to spend the money on travel, then my mom had some other engagement and could we do it on the weekend, then ok brother and mom are going to carpool, but his ex-wife is supposed to have the kids that weekend, he'll have to swing something.

Then I get a phone call from my sister and she thinks that it will be awkward to have Mom and Dad in the same room, nevermind that they have been divorced for 15 years, and mom is calling her wondering if he's coming, but Dad has inventory at work that weekend, and O no I've gone cross-eyed.

I swear I'm the only stable person in my whole family.

2008-12-06T22:07:00.006-05:00

Working as I do for churches, there is a very special feeling I get when I think about Christmas. And that feeling is trepidation. Allow me to 'splain.

The 2 biggest holidays in the church market is Christmas and Easter. Christians are big into birth and death. The in between parts, meh, not so much. Megachurches love to take advantage of these events and hold huge concerts or passion plays during these times.

Seems every year around this time, I get drafted into programming a lightshow for a Christmas concert or 2 (or 4!) This week it is a giant behemoth of a show, with 80 moving lights and a Vista T2 console, which I have never used before, and programs unlike anything I am used to. Not that that is a bad thing, as I am really impressed with the Wacom pen tablet GUI and the visual approach to programming, I just wish I had a better grasp of the interworkings of the programming commands. Of course, that is another blog post.

The trepidation comes from just knowing how these people operate normally and what they expect of you. Most of the time the stuff they expect you to do, they expect you to do it for free because they are a church and it's the "christian thing to do". I generally nip all that talk in the bud real quick and let them know that God works for free and I'm not God. However good this show is for my wallet, it is murder on my body, mind, and sleep schedule. Since Monday, I have put in 80+ hours with notes and the performance still to come on Sunday.

These people have a full 80 piece orchestra and 3 full choirs: children, youth and adult that number over 300 voices. They want all of them on stage, at the same time, and didn't think to rehearse or stage any of that until 2 days before the show. /fail

Anyway, here are some iPhone pics I snapped real quick:

2008-11-15T15:59:00.008-05:00

I'm off to the Atlanta History Center to watch a film screening of The Dark Crystal. I'm so stoked.

11pm- Wow. That was amazing. There was a good bit more than just a movie screening. We had a Q and A with Dave Goelz, who has been controlling Gonzo since his creation, and Steve Whitmire, the man who plays Rizzo the Rat and who took over the role of Kermit the Frog after Jim Henson died.

During the Q and A, they each brought out their respective Muppets and answered questions both of themselves and the Muppets. For a moment, everyone in the room was 6 years old and watching Sesame Street and the Muppet Show. I remember thinking, "Man, I'm 30 feet from Gonzo and Kermit the frog!"

Steve told the story of how it felt to take over the puppetteering and voice of Kermit after Jim Henson died. He said they had "sent over one of the Kermits, and I opened the box and it still smelled like Jim." He said that he put him up on a shelf and couldn't go into the room for a month and only got down to work on it when a worried Brian Henson called asking to see some tape.

He says that when Jim was inducted into the television hall of fame, he was working with him on set and had a video camera focused on Jim as the two of them performed. He used that film to get the vocal sound right by studying Jim's facial expressions as he worked Kermit. He says to get into the character, Frank Oz told him "First you have to perfom Jim, and then you will perform Kermit as Jim." That's some big shoes to fill.

They were so comfortable together and with us, that the Q and A ran far longer than expected but eventually the screening started. The Dark Crystal is a fantastic film, absolutely one of my favorites. And after hearing the stories from the puppetteers, it seems even better. It blows my mind that it was made before CGI and that all of the movie was shot on a soundstage. All of those beautiful sets and stages and were created from the ground up.

The two performers actually stayed to watch the film and afterwards came back down for a second Q and A session. It was really a class act. They relayed stories of how uncomfortable it was to get into the skeksis costumes and what a team effort it was to bring those characters to life. It took 6 operators per Skeksis; one for the head and left arm, one for the right arm, and 4 under the stage operating the facial and eye movements.

It was a memorable night. I almost didn't go, but I am really glad I did.

2008-11-01T14:38:00.000-04:00

I'm just getting my breath back after a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas for my 30th birthday. It was my wife's first trip to Vegas, so we toured the Strip and downtown and saw the shows and walked...and walked...and walked.

Seriously, I thought my legs were going to fall off. I was also there for a convention and covering the floor everyday was about 2 miles, plus we walked the entire Strip, not to mention going inside all of the casinos and shops. Caesars Palace alone took 2 hours to go through. My blisters have blisters.

But, overall it was a nice time. I got to see some good friends I haven't hung out with in years, and ~~drink~~ catch up with them. I lost every single time I sat down to play anything, but I'm not complaining. Plus, I think the city impressed the wife enough that this may become an annual occurrence. Any one else want in?

On the birthday front, I've made it to 30. Apparently I'm supposed to be an adult now and put away my childhood. So, for my birthday, I bought myself a gamepad and spent the weekend playing Super Nintendo roms. We'll see who calls the shots here, age.

Shop talk

2008-10-18T13:13:00.000-04:00

Exhausted.

I and my coworker drove to South Carolina on Monday this week to work on what should be a simple system. One full size dimmer rack and small half rack, and rigging 14 Vari-Lites. The electricians were pulling out an old rack and installing the new one in its place. They were supposed to be ready for us on Tuesday.

On Tuesday we found out that they had not even begun to install the new rack. We concentrated on getting the moving lights up and tried to stay out of their way while making ourselves available for questions should they need anything. We never heard a single question from them.

By Thursday (the day we were supposed to leave) they had the fullsized rack "done" and started to install the half rack. Just before lunch, we checked in to see this:

For those of you who don't know, the fullsized rack is on the left, WITH THE HALF RACK MOUNTED TO IT!!!

After a lot of fingerpointing, they removed the offending piece and landed it correctly. We didn't get finished with the work we had to do after them and out of there until the end of the day on Friday. Then we got to drive 5 hours back home.

Maybe I should just get a paper route.

P.S. - Two things you should check out. Swaran clued me in to Nightmare Revisited a new release of the Nightmare Before Christmas sountrack by bands like Korn. The clips I heard are very cool.

Secondly, I saw a link on the webcomic Questionable Content about Tragedy, a heavy metal Bee Gees Cover band. It sounds cheesetastic.

Free lunch

2008-10-09T19:54:00.000-04:00

This week I have been working in The Salvation Army's Kroc Center in downtown Atlanta. I am installing the dimming system and hanging a bunch of lights in the new chapel/auditorium.

Yesterday, I was going about my business when 3 or 4 volunteers came in with a table, a Gatorade cooler and some aluminum serving platters. Apparently on Wednesdays, the volunteers bring in lunch for the construction crews and feed them. A very nice gesture I thought. So, they start serving out hot dogs. the weenies are in the Gatorade cooler, and the trays are full of chili and cheese, and a lady at the end has a big bucket o cole slaw.

Out of nowhere, all of the contractors (like 40 guys) show up and queue up for lunch. I'm a little confused, but I get in at the end of the line, because hey, a free meal is a free meal, right? I am patiently waiting my turn in the line and I start looking at all of the guys around me. Mostly country, good ol boys and gritty, dirty, workmen wearing ratty tee shirts with their profession on them, real dirt under the fingernails kind of guys.

Suddenly it dawns on me that I am standing in a food line, run by the Salvation Army. I'm covered in drywall dust and sweat, and the people around me are in no better shape. I've never felt more homeless in my entire life.

As a side note, the dogs were quite good, but the chili made for a rather, um, musical afternoon. It was like the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles there for a bit.

Epiphany

2008-10-07T00:13:00.000-04:00

I saw a re-run of Top Gear on tv Sunday night where two of the hosts held a game of soccer with cars. It looked like such fun that I wanted to scale it down into something people could do without having to ruin their cars. I think the best way to go would be bumper cars, that way you'd get the fun of playing and smashing into one another. Sort of like Whirlyball but with a big soccer ball rather than the lacrosse scoops.

Hrm, there is a Whirlyball court near me...Time to round up some friends and buy a big beach ball.

And so it begins...

2008-10-05T19:29:00.000-04:00

Why does a blog always sound like a good idea until you actually sit down to start one? All of a sudden, the realization that millions of people potentially, can read the words I write, puts a lot of pressure on me to perform.

Of course, millions is probably a bit strong for my ego; tens would be a better goal to shoot for. Anyway, this is my new home for all of the strange ideas and thoughts that I will never remember if I don't put them down to remind me.

A small introduction is in order. I live in Atlanta, GA. I have a wife and three cats, a newly refinanced home, a job that sounds much cooler than it actually is(Television and theatre lighting technician) and a desperately middle-class life. I am not yet thirty, but I can see it from here. The end of the month comes awfully fast.

So, welcome to everyone that makes their way here, or stumbles their way here and is wondering aloud where are the Raymond Feist references , I'll try not to disappoint.