George_Lampard

 Do you ever get the feeling the whole world is out to get you? That there is one massive plan behind the scenes you don't know about? 

Most people do, its a natural feeling of paranoia you get from being self aware. Because you can acknowledge your own existance, you can also acknowledge the existance of beings far greater than you, who are most likely in control of your life. For most, this means god. For others, this means CIA. And for a few it also may mean UFO's. 

Well somethings have been happening to me, that lead me to this feeling of paranoia. And now I shall talk about these events.

For the first year at UNCG, I used the UNCG email system, it was unreliable, and often would go through tons of downtime. So one day, I switched my uncg email around to forward it to my Gmail. A very reliable service. This was one year ago.

Well now, for the past semester I have been skrewed with.

My editing class for example, has tests ever so often asking us keyboard shortcuts, menu labels, things that no normal person (no matter how awesome of an editor they are) knows by heart or logic. But the test is based on the in book quizes, so its easy to study for. Of course, every time they had a test, I would not know about it until the moment I walked into that class. I got F's on most of my tests because of this. Only two tests did I actually know about, and I got 100's on them.

Then my Japanese class, same story there, quizes this time. I missed two classes, and because of that missed two quizes. I could have gone to class, I would have gone to class, had I known about these quizes. 

Papers ended up being due this semester, without any  warning, without them officially telling us about the paper. I didn't understand it.

My job for the college is even suffering, twice now I've worked full months, and have not been paid because my time sheets have not been in. 

UNTIL NOW

Now I find out, now, with only one more test between me and the end of the semester. I find out, that apparently, the college tried to fix their shitty email system, and did so by switching over to a Gmail system. How did they tell us about this? Why they posted a bulletin on their current email system, next to the login. The login I never use, because my emails are forwarded to me.

Well here I am now, looking at my "email" with 114 unread messages. Ranging from "Test Tomorrow" to "Paper Assignment" to "Paystubs due Friday" 

Fucking hell.

If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside.
  - Robert X. Cringely

So that made me laugh...

Also apparently I learned HTML, and am now moving on to java. Strange how I stumble into rabbit holes like that. In contrast however, I'm doing horribly at Japanese, and am pretty sure I'll never take it again after this semester. I love the language, I love the culture, and I'm quickly picking up on the alphabet. But there are a few problems.

First off, I hate my teacher, she is Japanese, and I think maybe because of that she has no mercy for us foreign bastards who are trying to learn her language. We're learning Hiragana at a steady pace, but at the same time she expects us to pick up on vocab, grammar and sentence structure. All while trying to learn from a book, void of most English, and filled halfway with the other two Japanese systems of writing.

Sami might disagree with all of this, because she's advanced enough in Japanese that my cries of pain and woe must seem childish to her.

But image for once if were in grade school, and while they were teaching you the Alphabet, they also taught Grammar and Vocab at the same time. And when you opened your book to try and study, do home work, or figure out what the fuck your reading. You had to stop every two words to translate something written in the font Webdings, and again for something written in the binary form of our alphabet. Then go to the teacher, tell her how you care about your grade, and want to do better and she tells you "Well the course isn't going to slow down you know..."

Listen, when I was a kid, I was born premature, I grew up, developed physically and mentally slower than other kids, just because. Around the age of 12, I jumped ahead and became much smarter than most of the people I knew. But I still had the worst time in English. I went to a speech therapist for the first 12 years of my life, I suck at spelling, I have poor grammar, and I write many of my words and letters backwards. Its not a handicap, I don't suffer because of it, and I certainly don't let it hold me back. I want to be a writer for god's sake.

But here is my problem with all of this. I am a film student, in the United States of America. I know for a fact, that all the work I'll ever be doing will be here in this country, the film capital of the world. I also know that most successful people from other countries, who come here, speak English. And yet here I am, learning a language, be it Spanish which I failed for four years, Japanese which I'm near failing this semester, or any other language. Why?

In high school it was for a "well balanced education" which is crap, since the real successful people in this world are focused in on an area. Now in college, they don't even give a reason. I think one school started doing it, and then all of them adopted the craze. Its foolish, to waste my time, learning this crap. Just as its foolish to waste my time and money coming to college at all. Because I will learn nothing here, nothing that they will teach me, I'll only learn on my own freewill, of my own accord.

But the worlds not that simple, now, just to be looked at for a job you need four years of college. Which I used to respect, but college doesn't mean anything anymore. It used to mean you were smart, or that you were dedicated. And high school graduates used to be certified to be able to read and write. But that's not the case anymore.

I personally blame the liberals, not the democrats, I'm talking about liberals, and I'll tell you why. Its that "we're all winners" mentality. The idea that we all need to succeed, and the ones who can't succeed should be given help and exceptions. We lower our standards now, to graduate high school, you just pass for twelve years, and not get expelled. To graduate college, you just pay them a load of money and wait the four year "processing time." To get a loan for a house you just ask for one. See where I'm going with this?

Let me ask this, how many men walked on the moon? Maybe a dozen? How many people won the Olympic gold? One in each competition? How many people became president this election? Oh that's right, only one guy. One person, and everyone else who tried, where is their support? Where's their gold medal too? Their equal reward? Oh that's right, they don't fucking get one. In the words of Willy Wonka "YOU GET NOTHING! YOU LOSE! GOOD DAY SIR!"

On that note, I'm taking sign language next semester, in hopes that I'll be able to learn it easier for four semesters, since a lot of it is theory and visuals which I'm good at. Because while I hate the system, and I find it worthless, I don't expect exceptions to be made for me, or for standards to be lowered for me. They want me to have four semesters of another language, they got it. Now give me my diploma and kiss my ass.

Yeah but...
I SAID GOOD DAY SIR!

 So Obama won the election. And since I'm on a college campus, I got to be front and center when the crowds of people came out cheering and celebrating in the streets. Cop cars arrived, trying to calm the crowd, but only added gasoline to the flames.

I voted today, for myself as I said I would. So I couldn't help but look on with pity as a crowd of children cheered for their new president. I hope he does well in office, I hope these people grow up with respect for their country as I lack. But hopes and wishes are fickle and cheap.

Chances are, this president, just like the previous three before him, will only let people down. Just like the latest video game, or the new movie release. Too much hype often goes to waste. God help us as a country if he fails. God help us when these people lose their faith in a president, or a country, as I have. 

It would be a pity.

So a while ago, I decided I was not really going to vote this year. And by a while ago, I mean three weeks ago when North Carolina became labeled as a "swing state," and by decided, I mean I talked about it with some friends for a few hours.

It kind of doesn't make sense, not to vote when your state is a swing state, and will help decide the election. But that's because I've never been in a swing state before. New Jersey for the past sixteen years votes a landslide democrat. And while I'm generally a conservative, I still thought it was important to vote. But let me paint a picture of what its like to be in a swing state.

First, wake up everyday, go to your mail box and throw out two to four fliers. Everyday. Some for John McCain, some for Obama, some of them for the senate runners, who are trying to hop on the local band wagon. Then turn on your television set, and replace half the commercials with smear attack adds from both sides of the party. Then go down the street and see that the road is blocked off, because the VP no one cares about is giving a speech. Then go to your news paper, and replace all the major issues involving your state with meaningless updates on the presidential race. Then answer your door at 9am, because two people want to make sure you're registered to vote, and if you are voting for their side of the race, they want you to go ahead and fill an absent ballot so they make sure they have your little vote. Finally, once you've just started to go bonkers, go anywhere down the street, to a store, to your school, or place of work, and tell about ten people standing on every corner "Yes. I am registered to vote. No, I don't want to talk about who I'm voting for."

That's what its like to be in a swing state. And you know what pisses me off? It only happens in a swing state. And its never happened in North Carolina, because for the past twelve years, NC has leaned republican.

So what does all this say? It says that these stupid, ugly, slimy people running for president, don't give a damn about you, or your stupid state. All they care about is winning. And for what? So they can create a bill that'll be shot down by the senate? Or so they can do absolutely nothing about the economy? And make a few more bad decisions in office like every president since Regan? Spare me.

So will I vote? Yes. I'll vote alright. And I'm going to write my own name in on the ballot. Because I'm better than them? No, because at least I know how I'll fuck the country over. Which is more than I can say about the side show freaks running this year.

And please, don't tell me about how Obama is going to change everything, because they said the same thing about Jimmy Carter. And it was a load of shit. Just like it is now. No one. No one. Is going into office, and magically change anything.

And please don't tell me about how McCain is a stand up good guy, and how he has experience. Because even if the man wasn't a dinosaur and walking with the most pathetic VP I could fathom. He still is just more of the same shit that's out there. While I agree with his points, he'll ultimately fail in office, even if he doesn't have a stroke.

For a minute, think about all the things you loved as a child, growing up and reading books, watching TV, checking out the casual comic book, playing video games.

Just think about them, and how awesome it was to see them all in movie form. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dick Tracy, Batman, Goosebumps even. Sure, the plot or exact storylines weren't dead on once they made it to the silver screen. Dick Tracy never took on the entire mob at once like he did in the movie, Batman never killed Joker, and Casey Jones was a much bigger character than the movie gave him credit to be. But at least the characters were pretty spot on.

But now...there's this.( Sad and Stupid )
I know, like most people, this movie was a bad idea in the first place. Its an old show, the hype and following of it has died, its now more of a punch-line when compared to other anime. But I assume the producers of the film felt that people like me, who were fans of it then, would see the movie out of nostalgia or pity. And that was probably true, until this shit got smeared in front of me. Thanks for killing something I cared about Hollywood. I need to go change my Xbox live name now from SUPER BUU to anything else.

( Fuck Halo. )

Moving on.

I got to get a lot of shit done today. First off, the Elevator Art website. Daimon, Joe and Jennifer, the members of Elevator Art, have done a lot for me so I got to get this site done today or tomorrow. Next, Noobesauce Episode 7 needs to get done, Dot Swoof has been on a break content wise, so we need to get that rolling. Next I need to clean my house, and get things going...oh and I need to practice Japanese, which may or may not include watching Battle Royale.

Making a website is a question of time, money and quality. Let's say for example you want a well designed website, with tons of features and designs unique only to your website. You're talking a high quality website, which will either cost you lots of money or loads of time.

Being a self driven artist who is still in college, that means money is out of the question. So that means I have to spend lots and lots of time making the high quality website I so desire. This isn't a problem, unless of course you don't know anything about the workings of a website, then it's like trying to write a book in a language you've never spoken before. Chances are, even if you have a DIY book by your side, that you're going to make more than your share of mistakes.

Well finally I've finished the revamped website. It wasn't easy, and the fact that I have three more sites I have to make after this isn't a pleasant thought, but I finished it on my own (with the tips from every code I could get my hands on) and I'm happy with it.

Just a tip for all my friends in the arts. Do not, ever, under no circumstances, work on something, stop for several months, and work on it again.

As artist, more so as perfectionists, we can't help but look at something we did in the past and feel that cold sweat of shame when we see its now obvious flaws, which are to the typical observer, non-existent.

Anything that happens happens, anything that in happening causes something else to happen causes something else to happen, and anything that in happening causes itself to happen again, happens again. Although not necessarily in chronological order.

                                                                                                                -- Douglas Adams