I have been planning to create a video application for Deal Or No Deal for months now. Well, now I don’t have to. They held preliminary auditions at the Ren Faire in Irwindale this morning. If they like me, I’ll hear something some time this year.
Saturday, a hike I have been anticipating for months finally came to fruition — The Bridge to Nowhere. In the 1930s a bridge was built in the wilderness north of Azusa intending to connect two under-construction roads. A flood washed them out and now decades later we have a bridge in the middle of nowhere (or the Sheep Mountain Wilderness if you prefer) people like to leap off attached by a bungee. A dozen of us set out under the leadership of Karl, head of Extreme Things. Before us was a 9-10 mile round-trip hike with multiple river crossings and some rock-scrambling. There was also a wild-card, a poodle named Max would be coming along. He would become a small furry ballast for some river crossers.
The hike was great. We crossed the river roughly ten times and I never grew tired of it despite its frigid and often turgid waters. Its depth ranged from shin to waist deep. I would love to return, hike to the bridge, then kayak back. At one point we were greeted with the option to cross via an overturned tree acting as a small bridge. Miles away was the actual bridge where we stopped for lunch and some exploring. It rises dozens of feet above the river. For a fee a Bungee group will let you leap off, bounce a few times, then reel you back in. In the future, I may give it a try.
The hike took us about three hours longer than anticipated, but it was time well spent. I’ll gladly return multiple times in the future. Patrick even made it back in time to meet his date.
Today, JPOP teen girlie group Scandal was in the office. The band consists of four teen girls (although I think there may have been more than that in the office). They were dressed in Japanese School uniforms and accompanied by a videographer and a man I imagine must be their manager. Marco was showing them around the office and brought them to Media to view some music videos we have been working on. Rui, who is generally a shy otaku type, leapt into action. He was very eager to translate, explain our work procedures, and show examples. Multiple cute giggly school girls in uniform ignited his inner socialite. For me, the moment went from odd to surreal when they prepared to leave and turned to thank me. My desk is in a corner. I was surrounded by a wall of smiling exuberant school girls each staring me in the eye. In unison, they thanked me in Japanese and bowed. It was a moment from a perverse horror movie where a hackneyed male fantasy prepares to suddenly become a grotesque evisceration. Luckily, they left me intact and trotted off to their next destination.
Yesterday was a nice play by the Fates. I received a paycheck, annual bonus, and my tax return. It was a powerful blow to my debts and allowed me to purchase many comic books and 1TB of internal storage for my computer. Oh, and more pillows for the pillow corner. I am one hip man creature.
Erika and I took a trapeze class at the Gaona Trapeze School in Woodland Hills today. There is nothing quite like dangling by your knees from a swing 30 feet in the air while another person hurtles toward you, takes your hands, and frees you from your swing. For a moment, you fly.
Earlier this year, Luis introduced me to a stand-up guy that goes by the name of Monc. He’s an English musician with a lot of talent and passion. We worked together to turn one of his songs, “A Beautiful Life”, into a one-minute animation. It is my first After Effects/Flash hybrid love-child (generally I work in one or the other, not both together). I think it turned out fairly well and I hope everyone enjoys it.
It can be seen in the following places:
A Beautiful Life on Myspace
A Beautiful Life on YouTube
A Beautiful Life on Revver
A Beautiful Life on Newgrounds
A Beautiful Life on Vimeo
If you have quicktime and want to see it at the highest quality possible online:
A Beautiful Life on my website
Behold, this weekend I have solved the problem of global warming!
Tax breaks for rooftop gardens.
I have also solved the dilemma of youths purchasing online products without a credit card!
Banks, Paypal, whoever wants to make a lot of money should begin offering childrens’ accounts to parents already members of their organization. Automatically or at will, parents can deposit money into their child’s account. Attached to this account is a virtual debit card. Children (I’m mainly thinking teen and pre-teen) can use this virtual debit card to purchase items online. The card will be recognizable as a child’s card meaning no purchasing of porn, firearms, alcohol, and other fun things. The card is attached only to the child’s account, not the parent’s.
Were I a man with knowledge or interest in any of these industries, I would flit away and become very wealthy.
Instead I share these amazing ideas so that one of you (yes, you!) may become wealthy in my stead.
Godspeed lads and lassies!
If you have never heard of this guy, you should really check out his work.
I love a lot of the stuff he does.
Cyriak’s Bad-ass Site
I’ve posted pretty much all I plan to regarding the Cancun trip.
It was a great time. Here are a few random pictures from throughout the trip.
Erika enjoyed herself quite a bit.
On our last full day in Cancun, we went snorkeling. It was part of the Aquaworld Jungle Tour. At the marina, we mounted small two-man motorboats resembling rectangular jet-skis. Our caravan sped across a large lagoon through a watery jungle and into the Carribbean where be braked at a reef. Here we dove into the waters and swam about for a while.