MCOM 225 blog

Final Video

2008-12-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

Our final video is posted on Tony Gorder's blog. Jamison Lamp, Tony, and I decided we wanted to do the top most common ways to die in your house. It sounds graphic but we made it stuff that was completely overly obvious so that it was funny. It turned out really funny, I think. The B-Roll of Jamison and household accidents was really fun.

Our advertisement was aimed toward all those people who get a little ugly fighting for clarence price Christmas presents. All-in-all it turned out really well and I think it was funny. We had some trouble getting the chroma key to work and getting it to post, but it turned out okay.

Minn. man mistaken.

2008-12-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

A man wearing a ski mask and carrying an object in his hand that a motorist thought was a gun triggered a lockdown Tuesday morning at Stillwater Area High School, police said.The object turned out to be coffee.
Well, I guess it's good to know that people are more careful, but they also have no trust in people wearing ski masks. Note to self... although SDSU UPD officers wear ski masks... they aren't going to shoot me. Hopefully.

Final Test

2008-12-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

This is my final test video that I did on how much I hate the ice on campus. Hope you like it!

Christmas Lights

2008-12-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

In Thurmont, Maryland, they are thinking of identifying those people who are behind on electric bills and wasting energy on christmas lights. Wow.

First of all, I enjoy christmas lights, I really do. But for those people who choose to put up HUGE tacky displays with cheap plastic reindeer, "ho, ho, ho-ing" santa clauses, enormous glittery candy canes, and THOUSANDS of christmas lights... make sure you pay your electric bills.

Now, I know everyone's budget gets a little tight around the holidays, especially now that our economy sucks, but try to prioritize. I recommend paying the utility bill before you spend your money on giant plastic reindeer. It's great if you have the holiday spirit and can't wait to celebrate, but it's December. December is cold. Very cold. If I had to choose, I would prefer having heat over a tacky santa clause on the roof of my house.

Babies galore

2008-12-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

Babies are everywhere in the Duggar family. Have you ever seen the show 17 Kids and Counting? They are now going to have to change that to 18. Michelle Duggar just had ANOTHER baby.

18 kids...18 kids...18 kids! This woman must have been pregnant for her entire adult life!! 18 children, 9 months each, that equals 13 and a half years of her life. Pregnant! Do you know how expensive it is to have 18 kids? How do you even pay for that?

Don't get me wrong, I like kids, I think they're amusing and interesting little characters. But 18 in one house is way to much. And she's "thinking of continuing to expand her family." I give these parents some serious brownie points. I'd go nuts!!

Burger King Taste Tests...not so great

2008-12-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

Burger King recently went to rural Romania to do a taste test with people who are "unbiased" because they have never had a Whopper or Big Mac.
Basically, these poor farmers in Romania have some of the highest poverty rates and often go to bed hungry. Burger King thought it would be a good idea to go and use them as taste testers when comparing a Big Mac and a Whopper.
First of all, these people are happy to have any kind of food on their table, they don't care if it's a Big Mac or a Whopper. The critics are in an uproar, they believe that what Burger King is doing is morally wrong.

In my opinion, if you want someone's opinion, ask the average person on an American street to do the taste tests. Ask someone who isn't eating it just so they can consume enough calories to prevent passing out. Think about it, it's kind of insulting.

Thanksgiving shooting

2008-12-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

This guy knows what it is to make a bad first impression.

His girlfriend's brother shot him the first time they met... holy cow! Violence in never the answer... seriously people

Fire extinguishers no more?

2008-12-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

Fire extinguishers have officially been banned from communal areas in flats across the country. Huh?

Apparently it was decided that fire extinguishers encourage people to fight the fire rather than leave the building. I can see where people are coming from when they made this ban, but at the same time I have to disagree with it. I will admit that I think it's rediculous when people try to fight an entire house fire with just an extinguisher. That is stupid and unsafe.

However, what happens when it is just a toaster that catches on fire? That could easily be put out with a fire extinguisher if you catch it before it spreads. Or what if a candle catches your hair on fire? I don't know about you, but if I knew someone who's hair started on fire, I would probably try to put it out. But maybe that's just me.

This is a stupid and unsafe ban.

SADD

2008-12-02T21:35:00.001-08:00

Here's a shocker...

Dumb lady

2008-12-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

A woman in Nevada wasn't the most graceful drunken driver.

Well, the woman in Nevada was driving drunk and stopped to fill her gas tank. However, the woman drove away from the gas pump with the nozzle still in the tank. Way to go smarty.

First of all it's stupid to drive drunk anyways, all your doing is endangering yourself and others, but if you are going to do it I would think that you would try to NOT make it obvious.

Well, unfortunately she wasn't exactly discreet about it. Believe it or not... someone noticed that she tore out the gas tank hose... what a surprise! Why are some people so stupid?

Black Friday

2008-12-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

I had fun on Black Friday shopping with my Mom and sister, but when I saw on the news about the man in suburban New York who was trampled to death I was shocked. A pregnant woman was also knocked down and she miscarried... how tragic is that?

Honestly people, are you really going to trample someone to death just so that you can get a clarence price on a new T.V. or camera. What has our society come to when they are more interested in getting cheap stuff than helping out a man who was knocked down. And that poor woman who miscarried, that has to be so tramatizing. I can't even imagine what I would do if I were her.

I personally am embarrassed FOR THOSE people who were in the crowd. They should be ashamed of themselves. An HD TV is not worth someone's life.

4 Christmases

2008-12-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving night I went and saw 4 Christmases with my family. I thought it was decent. It was definitely nothing exciting but it was entertaining and I did laugh.
I was disappointed, however, that it seemed like all of the funny parts of the movie were shown in the trailers promoting the movie. I hate it when they do that!
I would recommend this movie to anyone, even my Dad had a few laughs, and he is more of an action movie kind of guy. All-in-all... it was decent. I suggest going to a matinee, it might not be worth the full evening price.
You could also just wait a while and then rent it.

Christmas Movies

2008-11-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

I enjoy a good Christmas theme movie every now and then, but it seems that once Thanksgiving hits, it is all that you see on T.V. How many times can a person watch Christmas with the Kranks or those stupid Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen?

If your under the age of 6 I could see how this would be no big deal, but they play the movies on adult targeted channels like HBO, TNT, and USA. The only Christmas movie that I truly enjoy is A Christmas Story, the one that always has marathons on Christmas day with little Ralphie who wants a Red Rider BB gun. Who doesn't love that movie?

For some reason, even though I've seen it 100 times, I still like it. The other Christmas movies, however, are just plain annoying and should be kicked off the air. If you want to see a Christmas movie during the holidays, RENT IT!

Stacking Routine

2008-11-22T20:38:00.000-08:00

Sweet routine

You can tell that this video has been edited a little bit, but I think it's still cool. I also think these kids need to get some fresh air.

Don't Taunt a Panda

2008-11-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

There was a panda attack at the zoo in Beijing, China this week. It happened to a man who I have absolutely no pity for.

The man jumped the fence because he wanted to "cuddle" with the panda because it was so "cute."

Really? Who does that? Panda bears are not some big stuffed animal, don't play with them! The thing about zoos is that they like to make them look as open as possible so that it doesn't look like they're keeping the animals behind bars. The problem with this is the fact that there are idiots in our world who take advantage of that and then get their limbs chewed off by a bear.

Tip for the guy in China... stay as far away from bears as possible.

The wonders of PhotoShop

2008-11-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine sent this to me because she thinks that when we're 70 we are going to be cat ladies. Check it out.

Twilight

2008-11-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

My friends and I went to the midnight showing of Twilight last night and I found it surprisingly good. The problem with seeing movies that are already books is that you usually seem a little disappointed.

When you read a book you imagine all the characters in a certain way and you get to use creativity, therefore movies on the book always seem disappointing. Normally one thinks "Oh, well those characters are good, but I like my way better."

Through all of this, I still liked the movie. I was a lovely romantic movie. Not only that but it was quite interesting because it was stuck to the main plot, not something you see every day.

Remember the movie about the Divinci Code... TERRIBLE! It was absolutely terribly and it ruined it for me.

I give Twilight an A.

Cribs

2008-11-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

Cool Web site

2008-11-18T23:18:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine sent me this link.

It's really cool and I found it really interesting what people had to say about the election. The Web site is great example of the fact that it no longer matters if you voted red or blue, it just matters that we come together as a nation and support or new president. We don't all have to agree on the same political matters, that's just plain unrealistic, it will never happen. But, Obama will be president, like it or not, so make the most of what is put in front of you.

The other day I saw a truck parked in The Union lot that had Obama's face on the side with a big circle with a line through it over it. Seriously people... the election is over. If your candidate didn't win than that's just to bad. There is no use dwelling on something that can't be changed. Listen to what Obama has to say, google his official Web site, I bet you can find at least one thing you agree with, no matter how small and insignificant it seems.

Tough luck republicans, it's time to move on and accept the future. The best part is that it IS the future, you never know what could happen. Maybe you will later find out that you're glad Obama won.

Prisoner escaped

2008-11-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

I prisoner in Kentucky apparently escaped on Monday and later came back to the jail begging to come back in.

Well, when you think about it, he probably made the right choice coming back. When he did come back he was covered in dirt from hiding next to the river. If I had to choose between living next to the river and hiding in the dirt because no one will take you in, and having a heated room with food, a library, a church, and a gym... I think I'd choose jail.

In my opinion it was stupid to escape in the first place. The cops are going to find you... and their going to extend your sentence for trying to run. Bad choice.

James Bond

2008-11-15T13:00:00.001-08:00

James Bond is as suave as ever in his new movie, Quantum of Solace. I saw it yesterday with some friends and it was great. I would recommend it to couples looking for an entertaining Saturday night. It's a great date movie. It's action packed for the guy and it's still fun for the girl as well.

My dad loves James Bond movies so I remember watching them on TV with him when I was younger and I have loved Bond ever since. Don't get me wrong, I love a good chick flick now and then, but James Bond is one of a kind.

The soundtrack for it was awesome as well, the song they played during the intro was a perfect fit. As soon as the soundtrack is on iTunes I'm going to buy it.

It's worth the $7.50 people...go see it

Movie Review

2008-11-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

So I recently saw Zack and Miri, it was hilarious and at the same time completely disgusting. The official title of the movie, that the theaters would not put on their posters is Zack and Miri Make A Porno.

That's right, this movie has taken sex in movies to a-whole-nother level. Now don't get me wrong, I laughed historically through the entire thing, but in the back of my mind I knew it was completely wrong and perverted. The simple and blunt jokes in it were more than enough to make you smile.

It is a Seth Rogan movie, however, so you basically go into the theater expecting some dirty jokes. This however, left me feeling slightly dirty as I left the theater. I've decided that our society is OFFICIALLY corrupted and perverted, and unfortunitly some of it has rubbed off on me, because I did laugh.

For anyone reading this blog that may be conservative in any way, stay away from Zack and Miri Make A Porno... I would guess it's not exactly your kind of movie. It's dirty and crude and remarkably funny.

I would recommend it to those liberals who don't mind seeing culturally inappropriate movies.

Seminar on Saturday

2008-11-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning I went to another Kevin Shlilp seminar, this time it was on the program Flash. It was really interesting because I new almost nothing about the program. I was really glad The Collegian gave me the opportunity to see him speak.

I had no idea that there was so many things you could do with it. I can see how it would be perfect for making Web site ads. It really isn't as complicated as I thought it would be. I hope I can get the opportunity to use it for something. Mostly I just want to play with it and make funny animations. It's really cool.

I've decided that Kevin Shlimp knows basically everything there is to know about Mac programs.

Seminar on Friday

2008-11-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

On Friday I went to a seminar in with The Collegian at the SDNA (South Dakota Newspaper Association) to see Kevin Slimp. He is basically the Godfather when it comes to InDesign and Photo Shop. He's amazing.

The seminar was a lot of fun and I learned A LOT. I knew a little about InDesign just from working at The Collegian but because I edit I never get to design pages. I was really fun to learn the different tips and tools but Slimp kept it fun at the same time. It wasn't like we were sitting in some boring class.

He also talked about Photo Shop, which was interesting. In Photography 100 they Klock only teaches you the really simple stuff so it was fun to see all the stuff you could do.

All in all, I was pretty dang excited about the seminar.

Video

2008-11-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

My group and I did our video on an alternate ending to the movie Juno. It is posted on Tony Gorder's blog, he played the role of "Bleeker" in the movie, Kelsey Lunn filmed it, and we all edited it together. I think the video turned out pretty cool. Tony and I make a good Juno and Bleeker.