What I Did On My Winter Break

I've made the observation that everytime I get laid off, the next job I get is better than the last. I'm wondering now if my next job is 100% freelance. Self employed. That would certainly trump the normal 9-5, 40 hour a week day job, merely because your schedule is flexible. That is the ultimate freedom, to have control over your schedule, and decide how much you want to work.

In my case, I want to work at my old job, but just not in a 9-to-5 capacity. So there I was, about 6 weeks after being laid off, sitting in the same chair in the same edit suite. It's like I took a winter break and back to work I go. I enjoyed the sense of fulfillment, having surfed through the initial "what to do?" phase, and finding my place in the world.

Having my creative batteries recharged, I still have energy to bang out these home projects, only having to divert to paying jobs a few hours a week. Here is a partial list of things I accomplished in the last six weeks:


1. Went to see "Children of Men", "Blood Diamond", "Pan's Labyrinth", and "Apocalypto". These films rival "Dawn of the Dead" in graphic depictions of violence and torture, with intense scenes of gore. All of these films would be better served not to go over the top with the violence to the point we are desensitised (I haven't even scene "Letters from Iwo Jima" yet).
2. I did NOT see "Rocky 18", "Bad Date Epic Dumb Movie", "The Good Shepherd"(wait for DVD).
3. Rented "Jesus Camp" (brainwashing kids - disturbing), "Jackass: 2"(just had to see ... had to see...), and "Da Vinci Code"(didn't read book - didn't excite me).
4. Went on vacation to New Mexico, read a couple books.
5. Climbed a mountain(well..about 3/4 up).
6. Partied with many old friends. Vowed to stay in touch.
7. Slept too much and ate too much.
8. Cover band i'm in played two successful gigs.
9. Did some subject photography (taking a break from the vidi)
10. Mapped out a concept video based on my blog, called "Thread of Mind". It will present my autobiography in a lyrical way.
11. Tediously backed up all the latest music and video I have collected recently.
12. Listened to massive amounts of music.
13. Loaded in my computer all the individual pieces of video and sound for an abandoned feature film "Acid Snow".
14. Painstakingly began to restore the soundtrack from about 40 hours of source audio tape for the film.
15. Started a blog and still trying to keep it going.
16. and, oh yeah. Tried to look for a job.

Empire Strikes Bullitt - fun with Sound Effects

A Tribute to Sean Connery

What Idiot Put Me In Charge?

Life as a Doodle
I enjoy the lap of luxury as much as the next guy. Which is maybe why the rug gets pulled out from under me once in a while. God knows, I would be complacent in my artistic endeavours. Here I am once again, forced to use my own discipline to find work and sustain myself. Each time this happens, I fall way short of expectations, but nevertheless find the light at the end of the tunnel. What I need to fight is this wonderful freedom ("but oh that magic feeling, nowhere to go"). Freedom from responsibilities, my life becomes a large doodle. If it was up to me it wouldn't be up to me. I would sleep in everyday and goof around with my music or video projects all day, save for playing with the cat, seeing a movie, or going on a bike ride.

Yes, I am Having Fun Yet

Previous terms of unemployment lasted several months. The first time, I filled in the days by travelling and taking some extra computer programming classes.


The second time, I did some travelling and produced my own TV show. The first 3 weeks of this latest term has been taken up by travelling and music appreciation. I have fallen into the musical equivalent of internet surfing. I spend hours surfing through my humongous iTunes collection, making specialised playlists, listening to newly acquired remixes and b-sides. Why? Because I have given myself the idea that I have the ability to coast along and make ends meet. Somehow it'll all work out. Why worry? I'm sure most people could not tolerate this attitude. Of course, it makes a big difference if you don't have a family to support. I have designed a lifestyle where I can live cheaply and pursue my art. I also know that there is guilty conscience that wakes me up in the morning, forcing me to face reality, albeit kicking and screaming.

I'm not a Recluse, I'm Just Eccentric
The other philosophy goes that things come in waves, where it's feast or famine. There are periods where I am working jobs both day and night, and I am constantly running around. Then there are periods like now, where work is sparse, and you can spend time recharging your batteries. I am not dumb enough to just sit on my laurels and assume that the phone will ring with an offer for a TV series gig. But as you see, the first order of today was to waste time writing for my blog. Doing great so far.

Coincidence 12/31/06

Meaningless Vikings Game
As with most coincidences I document, there's a bit of back-story involved with the significance of the events. This morning was a late late start for me. The band had a gig last night, so it was 3am or so when I got home. Today, I was heading for the meaningless Vikings game at the Metrodome, courtesy of band-mate Dirk. My initial plan was to hop on my bike and ride up to the gate (a free parking spot closer than anyone gets for $25.00). But the weather was nasty. Sleet and thick winds meant the slush would stick to all parts of your body. The backup plan was to hop on the bus that stops just a few yards from my house, and dash over to the game via light-rail. The game started at noon, I woke up at 11am. I had just missed the last bus that would've got me there on time (it runs limited on Sundays).

Fire Engine and Flat Tire
I devised a new 'get it done' plan, with the objective getting there on time, but not paying for parking. I tossed my bicycle into the backseat of my car, and wore some water resistant clothing. Time was still the essence, since Dirk was already in the dome and heading to Gate H to meet me and give me the ticket. My hastily devised plan was to park on the other side of the Mississippi river across from the dome downtown. The drive to the parking spot had a number of obstacles placed in my path. First was a fire engine blocking the street in front of the firehouse. It had just returned from a call and was slowly backing into the garage. Then another dilemma was presented before me. The car in front of me was driving with a flat tire. What should I do? Get out and tell him he's an idiot to drive his car with a flat tire? I abstain, thinking he could be nursing it to a service station. After he continues to drive on for several blocks, it is obvious this man is driving in denial. I know people out there who live paycheck to paycheck, and are unable to save enough money to repair or buy a new tire. But there comes a time when you have to face reality and suck it up. Same goes for those who drive around with one of those tiny temporary tires. There are some fundamental parts to an automobile necessary to engage in vehicle transport, this includes 4 wheels.

Gate H
By now, I become amused at the obvious trend going on here. The late start, the crappy weather, the oddball driving obstacles. However, I easily find a free parking spot about 2 blocks from the stone arch bridge. The bike ride is far from delightful. Cold sleet is pelted into my face and everywhere else for the roughly 1-2 mile bike ride to the Metrodome. It is about 11:45 am as I coast up to gate H. I give Dirk's cell phone a call, but just get his voicemail. I left a message telling him I was at Gate H and was in the line for security. How was this going to play out? Did he know I called and was on my way in? Would he be able to find me? Would I even get close enough inside for him to see me? Then I hear someone say "free ticket". Then some laughter. It is two guys directly behind me in the security line. I figure they are just joking. Then he says "This is the second time in a row I can't give away an extra ticket". I turn around and ask "do you have an extra ticket?". He was holding it in his hand. I told him that I didn't have a ticket yet and could use it to get in and find Dirk. So my fate changed just like that.

Happy Crappy New Year's Eve
Dirk found me within a few seconds (he literally just showed up at the gate the same time I got in). He asked me how I was able to get in. At first I lied and said "I told the ticket taker I was FBI and she let me right through." Then I gave him an almost equally implausible explanation, the truth. The last time I ever went to a Vikings game was a few weeks prior when I got a free ticket from my former employer. In that game the Vikings played the Patriots, and it was the beginning of Brad Johnson's downfall. In that game, by the 3rd quarter, it was just too embarrassing to stay and watch our team fumble around like they were amateurs. I left early in that game, even though it was a thrill to watch a game in the Metrodome with pretty decent seats. Today, the Vikings played the Rams, with a faint hope that maybe the Rams were bad enough to lose today. Tavaris Jackson was the starting QB, and is the future of the Minnesota franchise. But he was making rookie mistakes, throwing an interception on the third play of the game. So it went, another humiliation that was just too shameful to witness, even though the Vikings cheerleaders staked out in front our seats (row six) had nice looking outfits. We left in the middle of the 3rd quarter. The final turned out to be Rams 41 Vikings 21.

I Can't Do The Same Thing I Did Yesterday

It's A Curse.

Believe me, it's not because I lack discipline. I used to have to practice the piano for two hours a day when I was a child. It's because I have a constant need for original stimuli. I dare to allow that part of my mind to find it's fulfilment.
That's why:

The TV is always on in my house. While I am in the midst of multitasking throughout my day, I like to take a peek at the news or something.

I take a Bike Ride somewhere I haven't been. I need new scenery, I can't stand staring at walls in a fitness club.


I need to perform some original Act of Creation. Be it writing new music, editing a new video piece, or making a blog entry.


It's A Blessing.

For me it's about living your life to the fullest. When I give an idea a couple days before I revisit it, it is fresh again. The new song I wrote will now have been bouncing around in my head and I have a better idea where to go with it. The bike ride gives my imagination some time to wander, but also to scout locations for a possible photo shoot. The fact I am 42 and not burned out as an editor is a testament to my lifestyle, where I deliberately break up the monotony by doing other things.


I travel, see movies, surf the web, read magazines,stimuli, stimuli, stimuli.
All of this new experience is enriching. Working in the world of film and television is a great way of life. When working on a film, the circumstances change everyday. You are moving from location to location, or resetting for a different angle at the same location. TV is all about immediacy. Non-Linear editing enables you to spit out edited pieces as quick as you can digitize it into the computer.

One of the great rewards of pursuing something new all the time, is that you do the things that you would regret not doing later in life. I have a hard time sticking to any 9-to-5 full time routine. I come into work late everyday. I need to burst out of the office over lunchtime to be in the outside world. I've had periods in my life where I didn't have full-time work (like right now), and enjoyed the freedom.




Even though I am new to blogging, I have been writing a journal since I was in high school. Over time, I will post some of these journal entries that help to make these variety of experiences into a more coherent whole.

The Bermuda Triangle of Friendly Fridley (and some junk mail)

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Random Memories #001

These entries are based on totally random moments in my life. The objective for me is to see if there is any repercussions to the timing of this memory on my current situation. The objective for any blog reader is to see if the memory sparks anything in your own life.



Breaking a tent in neighbour's backyard 
Age: aprox 6. Playing with other friends, running through neighbour's backyard. They had a tent set up, and I was running alongside or running into it. Somehow I bent one of the support beams, damaging the tent. Impulsively, I ran home to avoid getting caught. The owner of the tent came to our house not long after and explained to my Dad that he thought I had done the damage. I did not put up any resistance when confronted and did not receive any harsh punishment.



Analysis: The urge to flee I believe is a basic animal instinct. I believe that is why you see idiots on those Cops show being chased down the road, despite the fact they are riding on their rims and a dozen cops are surrounding them. I saw this very incident myself last week while driving down interstate 35-W.

The Best Things: October 2006

The Best Music on Radio Ken (my iTunes library):
Futureheads – “News and Tributes”. 2006. Sure, it's an homage band resurrecting early XTC power pop. But hey, it takes talent to write smart and snappy tunes, and their vocal antics set them apart. Area is an instant hit, a high energy rouser.

Ride – “Going Blank Again”. 1992. Somehow I missed out on this gem from the 90s. Strong vocal melodies with insistent guitar riffs carry you into psychedelic era atmospheres. But once again for me, it's all about the power pop, and Ride has a few classics.

My Bloody Valentine - “Glider” & “Tremolo” EPs . 1990 & 1991. I was watching VH1 Classic's “The Alternative” music video block, playing videos originally seen in the 80's on MTV's “120 Minutes”. They recently played My Bloody Valentine's “Only Shallow”, a haunting collage of Kevin Shields' shimmering psychedelica guitar and Belinda Butcher's soothing vocals. Their album “Loveless” is for certain the greatest forgotten album of the 1990s. I thought it was a shame that the band never did a follow-up. It occurred to me that there may be some B-Sides or other extra tracks from that era. These two EPs contain similar yet standalone tracks. “Off Your Face” from Glider presents hard driving pop reminiscent of “What You Want”. “Swallow” fits right in with the slightly detuned strum “Loomer”, but with a Middle Eastern flavour. For me, these two EPs provide a “Loveless: Part II” that somewhat compensates for the lack of any newer album.

Psychedelic Furs – Should God Forget: A Retrospective . 1997. This 2 disc set features some of the long lost B-Sides and live tracks. It also has a decent collection of their hits like All That Money Wants. The last time I heard the excellent “I Don't Want to be Your Shadow” was something like 1983. The live version of “Heartbeat” rocks as well.


The Best TV Shows on Ken's DVR:
Hawaii 5-O . (Syndicated). For me, Book 'em Danno is all about the hot looking cars with lush backgrounds. It's also about how Jack Lord's hair never moves an inch no matter how fast he runs toward his car. But it's the outrageous plots that keep you coming back. Who knew that Honolulu was a cesspool of Mafia families dealing drugs and weapons, and having gang wars with other rival Hawaiian Mafia families. Every week the tropical paradise was inundated with serial killers, kidnappings, and crazed ex-military nutcases playing deadly cat-and mouse with their arch rival McGarrett. The cardboard cutout Five-O team had the thankless job of pouring over piles of police files, or calling up experts on the mainland in the middle of the night. Each episode finishes off by concealing the final actions of McGarrett to track down and nab the villain right before the credits roll. Jack then gets to look the bad guy in the eyes, “You would have gotten away with it Rocko, if you only remembered not to drop this”, as he shows him some unlikely evidence like a crumpled candy wrapper.

The Office . (NBC). No laugh track and humour that takes a couple Steven Wright beats to sink in. Such as when Mike recounts for the billionth time the one-timer with his flustered boss: “I'm so lucky that Jan and I only got to second base”.

Robot Chicken . (Cartoon). The jokes fly by quickly in this hardcore doll comedy series, similar to “Team America”, my guilty pleasure puppet action film. Robot Chicken is a commercial free barrage that features the likenesses of many celebrities and comic book characters as dolls acting very badly.

The Colbert Report (Comedy Central). Here it is, I try to comprehend the Republican mind and my brain loses touch with reality (or more like motion sickness). Colbert dares to follow all the redneck arguments about Iraq, immigrants, homosexuals, and the rest of their fact-challenged positions to their logical end. It's nice to know that there is one true patriotic American that will dare to stand up in public and call b*llsh*t on the lies perpetuated by the current people in power.


The Best Current Movies on Ken's movie list:
Borat . (Opens Nov 3). Such as The Colbert Report, Borat personifies the ugly part of our culture. His declaration to an unsuspecting rodeo crowd “I support your War of Terror” had me ROTFL. I'm so there.

The Departed . Scorsese does Sopranos does Scorsese with big name stars and gut-splitting raunchy language. Marky Mark gets to rap, Matt Damon gets to intellectualise, Alec Baldwin gets to go over the top, Dicaprio gets to act, and Nicholson gets to channel Lucifer. The scene where Baldwin congratulates Damon on having a kid had me ROTFLOL , “Others know you're not a fag, and that your (pecker) works.”


The Best Movies in Ken's Collection:
Black Rain . 1989. I was in Japan around the time Ridley Scott was shooting this film. I underwent a bit of culture shock while I was visiting my girlfriend, who was part of an English teaching program. We eventually broke up while I was there, and Japan remains a cold and alien memory. Ridley's “Blade Runner” is the father of Asian Neon Sci-Fi worlds that were perpetuated later in Japanese Anime. Ridley would put slowly revolving fans in shots, something that became a fad after Blade Runner came out. Jan de Bont added cinematographic touches by putting fluorescent lights in the shot. The new Collector's Edition DVD sheds a little more light on why the production was pulled halfway through shooting on location. One only needs to be reminded the arrogance Japanese business had over American business back then. They had such an orderly society that they efficiently manufactured electronics and cars better than us. America was judged almost solely by TV shows and movies (Tom Cruise and Sylvester Stallone). The order imposed by the Japanese authorities upon a travelling circus of a movie company caused ridiculous confrontations. The plan given to the authorities would show a light placed in a precise position, but would not be permitted to move it when adjustments were required. I was stunned by the lack of originality. Nobody wore their hair differently or dressed outlandishly. This film represents some of that alien feeling I felt when I was there. Michael Douglas gets to do some strutting and there's a few spurts of action, but this is not a cookie cutter machismo flick.

Tokyo Drifter . 1966. A companion to “Branded to Kill”, shot with bold colours , is one of the few landmark Japanese art films. Another art film I cherish is the long lost “Pastoral Hide and Seek”. Tokyo Drifter has send-ups of gangster films, with humour that makes it Japan's own version of “Whats Up, Tiger Lily?”

The Parallax View . 1974. Warren Beatty is a reporter who infiltrates an assassin recruiting agency. Seeing it now after 9/11 opens your mind. But really, this is a fun action thriller. I have always loved the soundtrack, a juxtaposition of patriotic music and dissonant tones, a very unnerving and striking arrangement. The other memorable scene is the Parallax Test , a manipulative slideshow with music, meant to gauge your reactions: Love, Mom, Home, War, Me. The piece assaults you with Life magazine images of war, poverty, and Hometown USA. Watching the Parallax Test yourself while watching this film screws with your head.


The Best Food on Ken's Meal List:
Mesquite turkey sandwich with pepper jack cheese on onion bun. With a touch of Famous Dave's Devil's spit BBQ sauce for a kick.

Pei-Wei Pad Thai . Que Viet doesn't serve this, and the only other place nearby is this small chain restaurant in the Silver Lake shopping area. Call ahead and it's ready in 5 minutes. Price is reasonable ($7) and portions are large. It's not Seattle, but it'll do.

Ginger Snap Wings. One part Ginger and Sesame marinade with one part Garlic Chili Sauce (LeAnn Chinn's works well). Soak chicken wings in marinade (add a few squirts of Sriracha HOT Chili sauce for extra snap). I lay the wings on the grill while the coals are still hot to char the outside. Then I cover the grill to let them finish, adding a final topping of the marinade near the end. For dipping, there's Daddy Sam's Ginger-Jalapeno BBQ Sawce.

The Best Things To Do in Ken's Spare Time:
Mountain Bike in the Winter . Put on layers like you are cross-country skiing. I bike on trails down by the mighty Mississippi, or go for distance on the old railway lines. The Southwest LRT trail takes you down the valley toward Shakopee, and is especially scenic in the fall.

Explore Saint Paul . I have lived in Minneapolis for almost 30 years now, and still I am unfamiliar with areas in St. Paul, the simpleton brother of hip Minneapolis. Life is more quirky in this overgrown small town, where your odd Curling club or authentic Vietnamese restaurant can be discovered.

Collect 80s Music Videos . Many 80s bands did their “Anthologies” soon after the Beatles did theirs. Along with them, a few bands released collections of their music videos. Back then, MTV prompted any and all new wave bands to put something down on film to get exposure. Many were dumb, many were strange, some were inspired, a few were works of genius. The reward from collecting these videos is I get a small amount of insight to bands that I know little else about. But they are also time capsules, revealing the look and attitude of bands like Ultravox , XTC, YMO, Cocteau Twins , The Jam, and dozens more. I also save choice videos from VH1-Classic's “The Alternative”, but I relish having a copy without the VH1 bug plastered down in the corner.

The Random Booth at Dangerfield's

Typical with my friend Debora, our trip down to the Corn Maze (or is it maize?) was an offbeat script with a couple David Lynch-ian moments.

Now, since I have a particular perspective of my world, when I collude with certain friends, cinematic things occur around us. In this case, I nagged to Debora that her supporting characters were predictable as I viewed myself not as a visitor to an attraction based in a farm field, but as film director Ridley Scott. I was critiquing the location and the need for a crane shot. I wanted to try astral projection. I imagined mothers having to extract kernals of corn from their child's ears and nostrils after they jumped and crawled around 100 tons of cornseed. The design of a Sphinx was made out in the corn, which according to movie reality was created either using a computer system, or alien-like crop circles. I wanted to get to the head of the Sphinx ("I'm inside your head, man" said Debora). We missed the pig races, skipped the soup-on-a-stick, and headed for dinner.

The original destination for dinner was a diner in downtown Shakopee (with a vintage "Eat" sign). I approached it from behind, and we were ready to just park without seeing the front. But I knew I had to circle around. The front of the restaurant revealed that it was obviously closed (despite many lights on and the neon "Open" sign blaring). Debora found this to be a perfect subject for her photography. The next restaurant of choice was Dangerfield's. It was more like a supper club, catering to older and affluent clientele. We were seated next to a booth with an old couple. Within a few minutes, the man started yelling at the waitress "we're leaving!" and stormed out toward the exit. We were center stage of the entire scene from our booth. The old man badgered the manager about how all the employees needed to reprimanded for screwing up his order.

I was impressed. I asked Debora how many times she re-wrote that dialogue to get the right nuances, casting was well done too. She was having a serious flashback to a time when her Dad helped her buy a car, with the same lines, same storming out. Later I noticed a couple with their child gathered in front of the grand piano. There was nice light dinner music, and all three of them spent a few minutes watching nobody play the keyboard (it was a MIDI system). I ordered a Greek Salad with blackened chicken - no mushrooms. Of course, I knew what was coming and announced to Debora "If there is ONE mushroom on that salad, I'm leaving!" Sure enough, it arrived with the fungus. I was humoured by the fact that I can be two steps ahead of myself after living through this over many decades (I hate mushrooms). The salad situation was rectified and assured the waitress that I wouldn't storm out.

One of those Movie Moments

As I look through my world with Steven Spielberg glasses, I see episodes happen in front of me as if in a script. When biking home from work yesterday, I saw a teenager practicing his violin out in the front yard of his house. This was probably because his Mom kicked him out of the house because of the god-awful racket (I could totally relate to this from my own childhood). As I was looking at him try to practice, he stopped in frustration and looked across the yard. There his Dad was mowing the lawn. He gave me this look of "I just can't win".

Surrogates are Stronger

When you take on a fight that belongs to a friend or co-worker, you have less to lose. Hence, you don't mind going out on a limb, and have fun doing it. None of these things are present when you have your own stressful problem. You feel weak, with a great amount of personal attachment to it. Emotions are harder to control when it's something personal.

When you help someone book airline tickets, or complain to a business, or deal with a legal matter, you champion the cause because you want to help your friend (more than you may want to help yourself).

Ex. Movie Galaxyquest, the surrogate space captain orders full attack on the enemy ship like he was reading a script for a TV show. Since he doesn't have the weight of emotion regarding the consequences of is actions, he has no hesitations.

Of course, most of us have been taught to fight our own battles. But the roadblocks sometimes seem daunting. Someone who can step outside of your view of things can put it in better perspective.

Relating to the example above. Pretend you are merely a character in a movie. When I don my professional attitude for freelance work, for instance, I am in character. When calamities occur with a video feed or microphone, I think of it as a puzzle to solve. Since it doesn't affect me personally, I am more willing to take action, and bravely face the pressure of the situation.

In a metaphorical sense, a surrogate used to solve a problem:

- A program designed to serve one function, can tackle a lower function easily.
- Someone you know who tackled a problem similar to yours can be helpful to you.
- Your expertise in a hobby could provide a different perspective for someone who does the same thing for a living. (Or vice versa).
- Take on your professional attitude when dealing with a personal problem. Step outside your troubles and take on the role of a coach.

Squee-Gee and Missing the Bus

When my mind gets wound up about a big event coming up, events transpire with a storyline. Of course, I view my reality like I'm in a movie, so that is how my reality is organised. In this case, it was prepping to shoot a live town meeting with three cameras and a v-brick. This is supposed to be modern video making, where all you need to do is plug into a phone line and your video be instantly accessible from Minneapolis to Singapore. But nothing ever goes to plan, and you deliberately plan for things to fail. I learned early from working on feature films that production work was accomplished by three important things: Backups, Backups, and Backups. Need one light take three. Plan on two people speaking, bring four microphones. Need one hour to setup, plan on two.

So the final video shoot was completed with gaff tape, more gaff tape, and any extra wires found sitting around. As I write this the meeting starts in about 9 hours, and hopefully I will get a little sleep.

However, today was also a big day because the movie Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy opened. The original BBC TV series hit a perfect whimsical tone with it's nearly preposterous plot guiding it. My friend Chris refuses to see it, because the TV series is also renown for it's ingenious approach to making a science fiction series with very little money. I am a big fan of satire, and this story makes fun of the genre - such as depressed robots - and has some classic Python-esque moments. A large whale appears out of nowhere and is plummeting toward the ground, and we get to hear what it's first and final thoughts are.

So after I got home and relaxed a bit this evening, I set out to see the Hitchhiker flick at my favourite googleplex . I always calculate the exact ETA to the theatre from my house, because nothing is as much of a waste of my time as paying $8.25 to sit and watch TV commercials before a movie starts. In this case, I also had to calculate the time it would take to stop at the cash machine at SA (2 minutes - using the fast cash option), and stopping at another gas station (nicer staff), to fill up my car (5 minutes). The other gas station has warning signs cautioning that the pumps may not stop when the tank is full. As I wait for my car tank to fill up, I notice that the guy next to me is washing his back windshield while pumping, and I decide to venture off to get a squeegee and do the same. How un-original, I thought.

I have noticed that I can also influence other people's behaviour . As I am sitting in my car at an intersection, I will hit the wash button to clean my windshield. Then I look behind or across and see other people doing the same thing. As I stepped away from my car to get a squeegee, I was subconsciously thinking that I am risking the pump overflowing while unattended. At that moment, the pump on the other guy's car started gushing out. I noticed and instinctively went to stop it, only to see that the other guy noticed the sound. I still could've dived in and stopped it, smothering myself with petroleum. But instead, I shouted out "Dude, you pump is overflowing". I was really thinking "Glad it wasn't me". I finish pumping and walk toward the cashier when a lady starts running out, trying to catch a bus that's pulling away. At first the bus stops, then pulls off again. The cashier said "It wasn't right for the bus driver not to stop for her". I told him the same happened to me when I took the bus in college. "They don't care", I told him.

I got to the theatre right at 10:10 pm. They were short on cashiers at the box office, so a line had developed. To expedite getting my ticket and stick to my timetable, I always pay in cash with a solid bill, ask for the specific time, and use the official nickname for the movie. "One for the 10:10 Hitchiker". Paying for movie tickets with a credit card should be banned just like indoor smoking. Good film, not disappointing for fans for sure. Then comes a scene on a Volgon planet or something, where these 8 foot tall bloated green aliens are trudging off to work in the Brazil-lian worker drone world. A bus approaches a Volgon bus stop and drives right past. The disgruntled alien complains: "This always happens to me".

Hand Gesture Gloves as seen in "Minority Report"

Gesture Glove
Originally uploaded by KG Prophet.

From NewScientist.com.
The system under development at Raytheon lets users don a pair of reflective gloves and manipulate images projected on a panoramic screen. Raytheon plans to offer the technology as a way to sort through large amounts of satellite imagery and intelligence data. But the technology might also have non-military applications. Completely new user interfaces will inevitably require new ways of visualising and manipulating information. "The biggest benefit comes when you develop a new way of interacting altogether."


I saw this on a technology report on TV(CNN?) a couple days ago. The person demonstrating talked about how gestures like "thumbs up", "ok", etc. could be interpreted as commands in the computer.

Applying One Technology into a Different Field

My mind expanded at that moment. I immediately thought about these possibilities:

-Sign language for the deaf.
-Each finger can act like a mouse point on the screen, you could 'scoop' up files on a screen and arrange them quickly.
-Using two hands, you could be doing 2 tasks at once with each hand.
-"Finger Paint" by having the movement of your hand paint a colour on the screen, or by controlling a virtual brush.
-'Mold' virtual clay into a 3 Dimensional shape.
-'Dig' into data like you were swimming through water.

I am a video editor, and I thought how quickly I could edit if I could mimic the old Movieola or Steenbeck process.
-Grab a video file, load into the viewer, view the footage, mark an edit point, and move it onto the final sequence.
-Use a 'stretch' gesture to make it slo-mo or trim the end of the edit.
-Zoom in and out on the timeline by spreading my fingers out.
-By tracking the movement of my hand to move a mouse point, 'press' a button by curling the finger and moving it toward the screen.
-Operate a 'flywheel' to rock an edit back and forth.

The 3D nature of the gloves could make it incredibly powerful for 3D animation. 3D animators create a virtual landscape inside a computer. The animator could manoeuvre around in the virtual space by hand gestures.

ILM and other visual effects companies have tracking suits for creating animated characters. Perhaps their technology is similar to the gesture gloves.

Contribute your ideas in the comments below.

The Shape of Things

I guage my luck for the day on whether I hit the stoplights mostly green. There are some days when I am clumsy and will break a dish or drop my lunch. Each day I get up I try to get a reading on what the mood of the day is. It could be the weather or what I see on the news. It could be a song I hear on the eclectic 89.3 - the Current.

Signs of Spring

Nature gave us a daylong soaking on Saturday, and just like that my lawn goes from brown to needing to be mowed (mown?). I am not big on home improvement, but somehow I've got my ducks in a row ending up with some new landscaping for my house, hhanks to my sister. She gave me the arrival date of May 15th for the bushes and flowers she is putting in around the house. It dawned on me that I needed to paint the outside of my home this summer, and it made sense to do that before the new plants were installed (transplanted?). I figured that painting would be a mess and would threaten the health of the new seedlings (underlings?). But I couldn't paint until I powerwashed the outside of the house. Saturday was to be the day to powerwash, but it was raining.

This was a sign, to go see a movie. Turns out there is mostly garbage out there in the theatres. Having seen the excellent Sin City the weekend it opened, I had enough curiosity about "Constantine" to go check it out. I read a comment that it was a kind of movie to see on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Turns it was playing only at night at a googleplex far far away. That lead my mind into music. The current track I am producing is called "By the Light". "Constantine" had a couple moments but rambled on too long for what the material is worth. The special effects were serviceable but far too brief for a $100 million feature.

Sunday I woke up from the horror of the Saturday night that was "Constantine" and found a Sunny Day without a cloud in the sky. There was very little wind and the temperature was in the sixties. There was an pleasant ethnic band playing at the church across the street. All in all the signs of a great day.

Powerwash

The next objective was to rent a powerwasher to clean the outside of my house so that I could give it a week to dry so that I could paint my house before the plants are put in on May 15th. The heavy burden of owning a home hits hard sometimes, and I was being given this chore under the most favourable conditions. Nevertheless, I was facing my own demons as I procrastinated getting out the door before too much of the day had passed me by. I skipped the shower but still had to feed the cat, and find a magazine to read, fearing a long wait at the rental shop. I couldn't find a magazine that I hadn't read already, There was a maddening two minutes of obstructionism being conducted by the procrastinator part of myself in keeping me from getting out the god-damn door. The next routine I attribute to my father, once I lock the door and am in the car, I forget something and march back inside the house. This time it was to grab some extra cash in case they wanted a cash deposit or something. I march right back out the door and pull out of my alley. I forgot the magazine. 19 times out of 20 the stoplight at the intersection near my house is green in my direction as I approach it. This isn't luck as much as I believe in the rational explanation; the lights were timed for frequent but quick changes, and also to slow down traffic on the main thoroughfare that my street crosses.

By luck, a major rental shop is but a mile from my house. By luck, there were no customers there when I walked in. The whole rental process was about as slick as using the drive-thru at McDonalds. They had walkies and headsets and computers. The friendly staff jumping around in their clean uniforms briskly fixed me up with the Powerwasher 2000. I had four hours to fulfil my duty in order to keep it to a half day and save $20. From past experience, the procrastinator side of me can bring up all sorts of things to procrastinate and waste the 4 hours. To combat that I declared No Lunch Break, No Chats with Neighbours. Things got going pretty smoothly, except my house has very little water pressure. My Powerwash was a Lamewash (Wimpywash?). I had to go full throttle and put on the nozzle they called "The Bullet". The guy at the rental shop told me it would put a hole through my hand. With poor water pressure, I figured The Bullet was needed just to get the pressure from a normal setting. Once I put the lethal nozzle on I shot it away from the house to check it. The nozzle ejected itself from the tip of the hose.

By luck, the nozzle was red in colour, and I correctly calculated it's trajectory and found it several yards away without much difficulty. Then another stop when I found myself getting drenched from the water splashing off the side of the house. I ran inside and got a cap. BUT, not just ANY hat, I COULDN'T wear my good cap since it would get dirty. So some more scrambling around to find a grungy cap. Then another pause as my niece stopped by and asked what I was doing. Then I gave in and took a break to change into shorts as the day got warmer. Then another stop as my sister comes to inspect. Clock is ticking.

I find the previous paintjob on my house is either so old or so crappy that the paint washes off like it was chalk. This complicates things. Now I have to be more thorough in getting all the crappy paint off instead of just giving it a good cleaning and painting over it. Deadline for Powerwash return is 3:15. I check the time and it is 2:30 and have one more side to finish. I put it into high gear and stepped up to the wall within inches to get maximum pressure. The neighbour jokes to me about messy work I'm doing. We end up chatting about the weak water pressure.

You Make Your Own Obstacles

There is a paradigm for my life concerning accomplishing something personal. In this case, to have a nicer looking house. All the Powers that Be shove as many obstacles in my way as possible to impede my progress in accomplishing my goal. It is a Battle. A Good Man in battle takes the impediments in stride and doesn't allow himself to waver in getting to the goal. This is such a routine matter for myself that I see it as a way to feel even greater satisfaction once I reach the goal. ("Just think how disappointed I would've been if it was too easy!" ). In this case, I want to be thorough as the clock nears 3:15. My turbo action finishes me up at 3:00. Now all I need to do is disassemble the Powerwash and bring it back. Turns out I did too good a job screwing on the hoses and can't get them off. I scramble into the house to grab a wrench and a pliers. In my haste I forget how the special pressure hose comes off. The deadline now mocks me as I fumble about trying beat the clock and save my $20. I finally figure out the pressure hose (you just pull it instead of screw it - idiot), load the gear into my car, and shoot out the alley. This time I made it a block away before squealing my tires and turning back home. I left my wallet in my other pants (that I took off to change into my shorts).

By luck, there was a road without stop signs that I discovered that leads directly to the rental shop. I got there 1 minute late. Not a big deal because the rental return employee announced on his walkie that I returned the unit back in good condition before I reached to counter. This turned out to be a good thing, because the jumpy staff manager was training a new employee in on the sophisticated computer and gave him an opportunity to show how to make an adjustment. So my habitual lateness was a good thing since it was a training opportunity.

The real luck involved in this tale is that I as I write this post, a lone thunderstorm in the entire Twin Cities is sitting right atop my neighbourhood. Minnesota in the spring has a reliable pattern of rain once a day during the week, followed by day long downpours during the weekend. Yes, Nature knows the days of the week and Minnesotans consistently seek a compromise to have Nature rain out only one of the two weekend days. In this case, it was Sunday.