Inspiration Shortage I'm trying to redesign something but I'm lacking some motivation here. I have a general idea of what needs to be done, but I'm just not feeling it.
Part of the gargantuan task ahead of me is to figure out what on this already verbose product brochure into something more....concise?
I have reservations about being too proactive here as what's likely to happen is that my design will get vetoed. I hate wasting time.
I need inspiration here, if you have any ideas on that, please let me know.
Retro Glimpse 1995 In an effort to get some creative juices flowing, I batted around the idea of giving a glimpse the past. I really wanted to see what goes through my mind when I do. Here goes...
It was spring of 1995. I've already come clean from my addiction on the computer game Doom 2 and was well into the routine of being a productive college student. Those were typical days at Pierce Hall, H building, in Tercero.
I was up at 7:50am to jet off to to my 8am Physics. Even though the mornings are basically like New York City with bicycles, it was a nice little commute as Roessler was really close. After 50 minutes, I was off to my music class at the auditorium with my roommate, Chung. After that, its almost 10 as we go back to the dining commons for a late breakfast.
Right after, Chung would leave for his Chem lab while I would go back to study in the room. I'd often leave my door wide open so that I'd say 'hi' to whoever passed by in the hallway. Some other days, I'd only study for an hour and then spend the rest of my time lying down. Either way, I'd always be listening to the radio. I remember the likes of TLC , Madonna, Greenday, Melissa Etheridge, The Cranberries...
I'd often wake to a knock on my door around noon. It would be Alvin, asking if I had eaten lunch. Some days, when I'm scrambling to finish my math homework, I'd just pack a sack lunch and eat it in my room. Otherwise, I would often join him at the DC. We'd usually run into our usual suspects there.
Afterwards, I'd leave for my Calculus class at 1 (well, 1:10pm to be exact). After another 50 minutes, my programming class.
That would be my last class in the day so I'd come home to check my email. Yes, the familiar sound of me dialing the campus network on a 14.4 kbps modem. Often, I'd go to the Rec Hall to workout. Then with my entire body feeling sore, I'd double back to the "H" for dinner. There, I'd usually join Chung, Alvin and John (with the rest of the usual suspects) at the Dining Commons. I usually ate a lot and almost always finished it all off with a frozen yogurt.
I always looked forward to nights (minus the cow smell). Most days, I'd study like crazy just to stay on top of things. However, there were always those other days where I just chilled with people. Sometimes, I'd hangout at John's room just to chill. Interestingly enough, it was often a gathering place for a lot of us on the floor. Many nights were given over to waxing philosophy out in the hallway. Other times, it was to catch up on Seinfeld.
The days would end somewhere between the hours of 2 to 3 am. I didn't get much sleep on the weekdays. I guess that's what the weekends were for...
The Unit I've been watching the new CBS show, The Unit, starring 24's Dennis Haysbert. So far, I think the show is pretty good. I'll tell you why.
As an action series, it's not bad. As a geo-political thriller, it's also not bad. But what I really appreciate about this show is the portrayal of the less than glamorous, yet very important things about the military.
Most of the general public probably has no idea about Family Readiness Groups, how frequent it is that the Army messes up your pay, the "hurry-up and wait" game, loan sharks and pawn shops than seem to populate a military town, how sometimes goods at the PX aren't really all that cheap sometimes, and the little issues that affect both the serviceman and the loved-ones.
Most importantly, is how the family members band together in dealing with each and all of these issues. Some of these issues I know a little too well, methinks.
I dunno, I feel most people need to see this to get some sense of how things really are. Some people seem to think that the military is nothing more than about firepower and muscle. I can only guess that those same people probably watch too much TV and play too many video games. Sorry, I guess I had to get that off of my chest.
I do hope this series is around for some time. I worry a little because of the small niche target audience that it resonates with. I really do appreciate it for the genuine reality that they're trying to portray.
STARGATE CRAZY!!!! I just finished watching all of Season 8 of SG-1. Wow. What can I say? It's very good writing (well, most of the episodes, anyway). Friends have often said that this is the last of the good episodes of the show. Although, I haven't been watching much of Season 9 on the Sci-Fi channel, I can already say that it isn't the same without Richard Dean Anderson (of MacGyver fame).
Anyhow, I'd dare say that 8 is the pinnacle of this series. Lot of questions answered, a lot of issues resolved and a lot of good suspense. I really do wonder what else I'd be watching once this series is over. I'm not much on pop culture icon show. I never really could get into reality TV.
On another note, I really do appreciate the humor and inside jokes that they manage to work into the show. That's proof positive of how dynamic this Sci-Fi series is. Even if you hate sci-fi, you'll at least apreciate it as an adventure series.
SG-1 FOREVER!!!!!!! Now, I gotta get started on the Atlantis series...
