Photo by Ed Yourdon via Flickr

I felt complete awe when one of my best friends in college, who’d had a distant crush on a law student we referred to as Tattoo Boy, actually went home with him one night after a random encounter in a bar. I was less thrilled when she told me how he’d said good-bye the next morning: “Call me. My number is in the phone book.” While my friend puzzled over whether he actually expected her to look up his number and call, I sat fuming in righteous indignation on behalf of women everywhere.

Although I personally never laid eyes on Tattoo Boy, he had a long-lasting impact on my life. My older more mature self would like to say that I learned to have respect for other people’s feelings. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case at the time.

The first time a guy ever spent the night, I kicked him out so fast he barely had time to pull his shirt over his head. In my defense, during our brief few months of “friendship” he spent an equal amount of time flirting with my friend (who had a boyfriend at the time) and spent even more time locking lips with her. How do you tell a guy, “sorry, but I actually think you’re a jerk and not worth my time?” He called repeatedly over the next few days, saying what a good time he’d had, but I was too chicken to pick up and tell him the truth. Plus, he deserved it. Didn’t he? On some level, I felt I was reaping revenge on all the guys who never called some girl. That one was for Tattoo Boy.

I’m more than a little embarrassed to admit some of the ways of broken up or blown off guys in my life.

I thought he was never going to call again

Having been advised by some guys that since I wasn’t a girlfriend, a guy wasn’t actually required to dump me, I was certain I’d gotten the heave-ho when I didn’t hear from the guy I was dating for two weeks. By the time he did call, I was already dating someone else, which was a shame since I’d really liked him.

Wrote a text message

Granted, the guy I broke up with via text message didn’t understand conversational English very well, but I admit it was still a wimpy way to break up with him. Especially since later when I saw his cute puppy dog eyes and mischievous grin in person, I immediately felt horrible and wanted him back again.

Before he’s fully dressed

Before I hooked up with my guy friend of almost a year, I was perfectly honest with him about not wanting a relationship, so when he asked me out to coffee later I refused. Unfortunately, that meant not only having that dejected look imprinted on my brain (right above that very lovely torso) for months to come, but having to see his miserable mug all over my very small town.

Left a message on his voicemail

So I finally got up the courage to tell a guy it was over and had everything I was going to say all planned out… when he didn’t answer his phone. Caught off guard, I recited the break-up speech anyways. Granted, he may have been the one who told me he prefers blondes—even though I’m a brunette. He may even have confided critically how his ex-girlfriend got too much “junk in her trunk” after they started dating, right after I had told him I’ve struggled with weight problems my entire life. Unfortunately, my voice calling it quits was the one captured on tape for him to replay over and over to all his friends. Who was the bitch then?

Got back together again a week, two weeks or a month later

Really, what had changed in two weeks? Did he suddenly turn liberal? Become less of a jerk? Was he more attractive? Did I suddenly expect him to start calling me on a regular basis this time? Did he somehow become more exciting? Did we now have more in common than we did two weeks ago? Seriously, how many times will I do this before I learn?

On the other hand, I secretly believe some of these guys have purposely chickened out and waited until I broke up with them. Honestly, we both knew it was over. He wasn’t calling me, we both would rather hang out with our friends, and we had nothing in common or nothing to say to each other. Yet, since high school I’ve almost always been the one to say we need to move on. (Both times I broke up with a guy.) Why?

It’s difficult to be honest with people, especially to their face or over the phone, but I should have learned years ago from Tattoo Boy that most people really don’t like that person who doesn’t have the courage to tell the truth or the finesse to tell it in a nice way. More importantly, I don’t like myself when I don’t show the respect for the other person by having the courage to break off any type of relationship in a way that preserves both people’s dignity.

We as a society are obsessed with nonsense, we are so concerned about peoples’ lives, or so-called “celebrities”, we are obsessed with judgment, money, power, clothes, shoes….Basically stupid stuff. Try thinking about it from another point of view, if you were that celebrity would you want your life posted and published all over the world?

Are you really obsessed with money? Yeah we all need it, but, what if you had none? Can’t be obsessed over something you can’t see or don’t have. Wow, what I couldn’t hate more is when a person has more than at least six pairs of shoes…you really only need dress shoes, running, everyday, and work shoes…not shoes for this outfit and for this purse or this day. That just crazy!!! (and guys do it too)

I think it’s funny how we say we can’t live without it [our obsessions], but yet when we don’t think about it, we don’t obsess over it.

Ok, I’ll admit  I am obsessed with somethings…Facebook, Texting, Chick-Fil-A…but I am “obsessed” with some other things that are good…God, family, friends…I am….well not obsessed, cause most people consider being obsessed with something as being addicted to it, but I am always trying to have a good, healthy relationship with all of those listed (friends, family, God).

Some people know every little detail about a celebrities life. Those people to me are CRAZY!!! Why constantly “study” someone else’s life when you could ALWAYS be enjoying your own….It just doesn’t make any sense to me.

As a society, when we constantly try to be like “our” celebrities or make loads of money, we only worry about those things and about ourselves, friends, and families.

Texting a breakup? Not OK.

We live, breathe and flirt in a world of high-tech, digital romance. And I can’t say with a straight face that I am not a user and abuser of texting/IMing/Facebook chatting when it comes to communicating with members of the opposite sex. But there are some instances where no Tweet can do justice to a face-to-face interaction when you’re wheeling and dealing in the game of love. Talk about bad romance.

The Break Up:
Remember when Berger dumped Carrie via Post-it note on Sex and the City? Well that sucked. But at least he made the effort to find a pen and paper. I’d take a post-it over a break-up text message any day. In my opinion, it is never OK to end relations via a short message service. Since when is a break-up considered a short message? Think about it. (Exception: You’ve only been dating for a week, and he’s already named your unborn child. Take the quickest possible escape route available. NOW.)

TMI on the Internet:
Making plans on each other’s Facebook walls. Really? Did you lose their number? No one wants to read this: “Hey babe, why don’t you come over around 7:30. We’ll watch a movie or something… but we probably won’t see very much. LOL! Ps. my roommate’s in the library for the night… bring condoms! You know my favorite kind.” All of your mutual friends are currently puking on their Newsfeeds right now, and so is your new-to-Facebook and recently friend-request-accepted mother.

Furthermore, websites such as IJustMadeLove.com should not exist. If you have enough energy to go online and let the world know what positions you just did it in, well I just don’t think you’re doing it right!

No Calls?
Sending texts/emails when phone calls are due is my biggest pet peeve. What we could have accomplished in a five-minute phone call has now clogged up my Gmail inbox with a back-and-forth rant about whether we should eat Italian or Chinese food that night. Honestly, if we can’t talk on the phone, then we probably won’t have much to say face-to-face.

Tweeting is Not Enough:

Reading “Happy one year anniversary, baby!” right in between Perez Hilton tearing down Michael Lohan’s parenting skills and John Mayer’s latest witticism about poop just isn’t going to cut it. I need flowers, I need restaurants, but what I don’t need is social networking, thank you very much.

Pardon my rant, but technology is really putting a damper on my love life. I guess I’ll just have to decipher his choice of emoticon in his latest text to see if we were meant to be.

Starting soon, North Carolina drivers who text behind the wheel will need to pull over to avoid fines.

Multiple media outlets report Saturday that the state’s ban on sending text messages while driving goes into effect Dec. 1. Violations could cost drivers $100 in fines.

The new law makes it illegal to text or read any e-mail or text message while driving, and fines are higher for school bus drivers caught in the act.

But the law only applies to the driver while the vehicle is moving, not when it’s stopped or parked. Police officers and other safety officials are also exempt.

More than a dozen states already ban texting while driving, and a South Carolina lawmaker has introduced similar legislation.

JOHN BOWMAN

E-COMMERCE DIRECTOR

(800) 817-2479

(570) 220-8728-CELL

www.superiorcdj.com

The late comedian, George Carlin, had a wonderful bit about driving. He would say something like, “Have you ever noticed how anyone who drives faster than you is a maniac, and anyone who drives slower than you is a moron?”

Driving really is very personal. Maybe that is why road rage is triggered so easily. An affront to one’s driving is an affront to one’s human dignity! If you don’t like the way I made that turn back there, well, you might as well just tell me my mother wears army boots!!! (Whatever that means).

These days – and this is somewhat sexist – it seems like women and teenage girls are growing ever more aggressive behind the wheel. One rational explanation is that women and girls may be more inclined to be on the phone or texting someone when they cut you off – but they also lack remorse for their driving and are as quick to gesticulate as a teamster. The soccer mom behind the wheel of her SUV texting her little darlings that she is running late is as dangerous as a teenage boy after drinking a six-pack.

But seriously folks, driving is deadly business. More than 100 people per day died last year on America’s roads – and that was considered a good year! From a spiritual or religious point of view, one can ask, is driving dangerously a sin? The answer, from my point of view, is a simple “yes.” Any of the following behaviors while driving is sinful, and this list is not exhaustive:

- speeding; texting; talking on the phone; tailgating; working on a laptop; reading; watching TV

All of the above are sinful because they place life and limb at risk. Speed limits are posted for a reason, and most speed limits are negotiable, to a point, but driving 15+ mph above the posted speed limit is entering the reckless zone.

In the reckless zone, wildlife, family pets, pedestrians, and other drivers are more likely to be maimed or killed by the speeding vehicle. Speeding greatly increases the chances of a mishap and resulting injury or death to one or many parties.

Closely related to speeding is tailgating. A tailgater puts pressure on the slower driver and distracts the slower driver, thereby increasing the possibility of a mishap. Tailgating is essentially as dangerous as speeding.

Even talking on the phone is sinful because one’s attention should be on the road at all times. Carrying on a conversation requires one’s attention, and when one’s attention is split between phone caller and the road, it makes for a dangerous situation.

Good Christian drivers should avoid any of the above-mentioned driving behaviors.

Now TEXT messaging is becoming mainstream among adults too. If you have seen Verizon commercial where parents are busy TEXTing and updating Twitter and Facebook you will realize that TEXT messaging is not just for kids anymore. I think this is a right time for communities like schools to start taking advantage of this phenomenon.

It is time for schools to reduce the paper work of communication and Go Green. Some schools are adapting to e-mail communication but frankly I would rather get early dismissal alert from my kids’ school on my cell phone than in the e-mail box where I get around 150-200 e-mails everyday. The point I am trying to make here is that even if schools are trying to go on e-mail communication, TEXTing has its own space in school-parents communication and properly designed system can use both the mediums properly to make sure that there is no communication gap between parents and schools and also there is greater convenience.

Most parents have a cell phone and would not mind to receive important announcements from the schools via TEXT / SMS. It is convenient for parents and it would reduce expenses for schools such as phone bills, photocopying, printing and mailing. It would also reduce staff workload by freeing up time that would otherwise be spent on preparing communications by school administrators or teachers. Weather alerts, 11th hour changes like cancellations, change of venue are some of the good candidates. Even parents can send a TEXT about their child’s absentee.

TEXTing is becoming ubiquitous among adults as well. Why not use this medium for more than just changing your Facebook status “I am sitting on the sofa”?

Yeah, I don’t.  Kind of sad in a way.  Especially when everyone around me is texting.  They get them, they send them, and all I  get are  phone calls, or emails, or Facebook comments, sometimes I get phone calls on my cell phone, work cell phone, and work desk phone all at the same time.  Yet, I feel left out, because I don’t have texting.

Why is it the gabillions of other ways to contact me don’t suffice?

Why can’t I ever be happy with what I have?

It’s my own fault I don’t have texting ability.  David would get it for me in a minute if I told him I wanted it.  Don’t get me wrong, I want it.  But I don’t want it at the price I would need to pay to get it.  I am determined to start living a life without so much stuff.  Right now we pay for a house phone, three cell phone lines, and internet.  We pay to communicate.  We pay someone else to talk to, write to, and social network with friends and family.  And yet I seem to spend less and less time with these very people I need to pay someone else so I can stay in contact with them.

Maybe when I’m not paying for so many other ways to communicate I’ll get texting.

So for right now you’ll have to call me.  Or send me an email.  Or drop me a note on Facebook.   You could stop by and see me, but chances are I’ll have my computer sitting on my lap so I can keep checking Facebook.  And see if anyone is reading my blog to see what I’m thinking about.

Yeah, pretty sad.  But don’t stop reading my blog.

The term “sexting” is the new craze with cellular phones; it refers to the practice of sending racy text messages and sexually ­explicit photos, mainly by a cell phone. The incidents of sexting have dramatically increased in the past few years; not only is this popular among teens but many adults are taking part in this also; including married adults. Though many in our generation are taking part, few understand the serious consequences of this irresponsible fad. Cell phones and e-mail have changed the way we communicate with others but are now beginning to lead to dangerous and ­destructive behavior. Teens who feel the act is harmless have lost their privacy on that photo once it is sent. A high percentage of affairs being committed are by spouses using the cell phone for sexting.

Future Texting

A humorous look at current texting on mobile devices.

Possible variations:

We grow skinny thumbs
People fork long thumbnails
We wear pronged thimbles (thumbles)

Alternative Interfaces:

Mind Control – here now in early stages
Projected keyboards with IR or laser sensors
Keyers (three keys ala Steve Mann)
Scroll OLED touch screens (ScrOLED)
Guttural commands (mouth words)

What do you think?

Check out larger pictures on Flickr!

The defacto standard on smart phone keyboards are QWERTY. The layout was derived from the traditional desktop keyboard and so the mobile user can easily make the finger to thumb transition when on the fly. Those days may be a thing of the past. Swype Inc. is set to debut a new technology that doesn’t isn’t your run of the mill clicking/pressing of miniature buttons on your touchscreen phone’s soft-keyboard.

Instead of tapping, you use your finger to “swipe” from letter to letter to increase typing speed.

Let’s watch a video shall we?

Does it make you want it in your precious iPhone? You can’t have it. The technology will arrive in Samsung’s Omnia II touchscreen smart phone on Verizon. The Omnia II goes on sale December 2, so it isn’t long before we start “swyping.”

Here’s another video demonstrating how text can be inputted much faster than on the iPhone

Swype

Is it okay to text your ex or anyone else for that mater during the Holidays?  Yesterday, being Thanksgiving and all, I received an enormous amount of “Happy Thanksgiving”, “Happy Turkey Day”, “Save a turkey” (from my vegetarian friends), etc… text messages.  I love to text, just like the next person, but I really hate Holiday texts!

They are so impersonal and generic.  I guess on one hand, I should be grateful so many people wanted to wish me a happy day…but what if your ex sends you a text?  Do you respond, even if you are trying to move on?  Are Holidays the exception?  Is it okay to text?

I don’t know, the jury is still out on this question.  Long story short, the ex texted me yesterday.  I didn’t text him or anyone else back for that matter.  I don’t know why he still has my number or contact info and why he continues to use them?  I’m trying my best here, but he’s making it hard!

Maybe it’s not about me and maybe he was just trying to be nice and festive…only time will tell.  Until then, I’m going to do my best to stay clear of my phone for a while.

Language has gone through serious change since the introduction of the web and instant messaging. Especially with the influence of texting, words and language has been altered to accommodate the speed of our everyday lives. Thinking of sites like i can has cheezburger, the use of this lol-language based on typing errors and acronyms and weird grammar is everywhere!  Soon our dictionaries will be appended to include these words and historically alter language on an official scale.

Written language has gone though a struggle with the introduction of the internet, and the proliferation of instantaneous media. Newspapers in smaller cities have dissolved, and magazine that were once tangible and collectible have shifted to on-line only. While there will always be a need for traditional print, the demand for it is diminishing at an alarming pace. What took centuries and millenniums in the making to create and hone will be gone in the next ten years. What will happen to the bible? will anyone even care by then?

With the disappearance of tangible written objects, language has become loose and alterable, allowing it to become something new and contemporary to the times that we’re living in. Letter writing has been replaced by texting and email, which is a separate language in itself – more personal and colloquial. I say bring it on, i welcome the change. Things should always be new, in order to keep life fresh.

I will not list local sales….check the paper for theses!!!  I am a homemade type of Christmas person.  I only buy a few things for the kids since I cannot make toys.   

Happy Thanksgiving! Be Safe!  Buckle up and Stop Texting (B.U.S.T.)!  http://www.kcbd.com/  is the source for B.U.S.T. information.

I realize that stand-up video games are practically a thing of the past, and there has not been a decent one since Dance Dance Revolution (DDR). Since home versions of the game along with Guitar Hero/Rock Band has pretty much eclipsed stand-up video game glory, its nice to see someone trying to renew it with Textminator.

As you can see, someone has even used the safety bars on the DDR game, but made the subject matter of the competition not dancing, but texting, something that the teens these days are really, really good at.

So why not make an arcade game where players must “face-off” with each other on stainless steel phone-like keypads? It sort of reminds me of MasterType, a very old-school computer program that helped me learn to type. In that game, the player had to save a spaceship by typing in the correct sequence of letters to shoot the guns to destroy the aliens. I am assuming the player does a similar sort of game in Textminator.

What makes this game unique is that not only can the high-scoring player enter in their initials, but the Textminator has a built-in camera so the player can snap a pic of themselves for a virtual wall of fame.

So, let’s see how Textminator plays out in a modern video arcade. Perhaps it will spawn Textminator 2: Judgment Page.

found @ www.coolest-gadgets.com

I doubt it, but who knows.

Talking to Brady a couple of days ago, I was feeling really horny and even ready to drive out and see him. I thought it would be over a week before I get the chance to see Devon again, but Brad was a good boy and said he wanted to see what became of he and Lisa first. Sweet, but you’ve already fucked my once, kiddo. Anyway, he suggested I look at Craig’s List and maybe respond to an ad, so I did.

The guy had posted his photos, looking for a date this week. I replied and emailed back and forth and texted until late last night. We couldn’t work things out for this week, but were anticipating dinner, movie and whatever else next week. Well, I decided to call him on my way home from the club I was at, and I’m glad I did. I’m not sure if it was the late hour, or if he’d been drinking, but he sounded like a complete fucking retard. I’m not really sure if I want to go out with him or not now. It’s possible it was a bad night, or he was drunk, but try to make a good impression on a girl who has basically promised you sex! His incoherent ramblings and mutterings were a real turn off. What to do?

Public transit is entertaining. I say that in the sickest way possible.

During my approximate 6 hours per week of commute between Tempe and Downtown Phoenix, I see more crazy than a hypothetical love child of Rush Limbaugh and Lady GaGa. Sometimes it’s frightening, but more often it’s ridiculous and incredible.

In my near year of riding the Light Rail, I’ve often found myself texting friends and families photographic proof of the characters I encounter. I decided to spread the love by posting my lurky Light Rail pics to this blog. Get excited.

From extremely common Light Rail Fails– A hobo in an “I love Jesus” hat verbally harassing a 12-year-old, a pair of overweight teens swapping shirts mid-transit, the drunk chick who can’t help but pole dance and consequently face plant when the Rail starts moving, to Light Rail Wins– A wheel-chair bound Priest who gave out bags of candy corn to passengers on Halloween and the hobo who serenaded me and asked for my hand in marriage and a lifetime together with me in his box, there’s never a dull day of LR riding.

This blog is past due for Light Rail Lovers and Loathers alike.

Happy Railing,

<3 lightrailgirl

I had always taken it for granted that if you sent and paid for a text message to be delivered that it would be, regardless of which mobile subscriber number it was sent to. At least that’s what I would expect at least 99.99% of the time, allowing for the occasional technical hiccup which would be fairly representative of a “best endeavours” clause.

So I was surprised to realise that sending a text message from an O2 to a Yoigo subscriber did not work at all; ever.

When I first started to look at the issue, I thought it might be a technical routing problem that perhaps had not yet been ironed-out, but it seems, from what various people have posted on the Internet, that this most likely is what can best be described as a deliberate act on the part of O2.

My surprise turned to irritation when I realised that O2 are happily charging for the cost of the SMS text message, irrespective that it doesn’t stand a bat’s chance in hell of ever getting to its recipient; moreso since sending a text message from a Yoigo number to an O2 number does indeed work as it should.

Hunting around the ‘net a little, reveals various posts suggesting that O2 does not guarantee delivery of SMS text messages to non-roaming partners. In the light of the additional experimental evidence that I have accrued, that would more properly seem to translate to “We only deliver to who we want, but we’ll take your money anyway if you are fool enough to give it to us”.

Victims of this policy, aside from the originators of such O2 text messages, include Yoigo and Hutchinson 3G (H3H), the latter who are Yoigo’s roaming partner in the UK and neither of which have a partnership with O2.

Some of my initial surprise subsided somewhat after I realised that O2 were nearly 70% owned by Telefonica (España), but this did little for my irritation. Telefonica (aka Movistar) may be forced to “play ball” with Yoigo in Spain itself (by having to participate in the appropriate virtual network sharing agreements), but there doesn’t seem to be an over-riding anxiety to do so from the UK – at least on the level of providing a decent two-way text messaging service.

Overall that’s a pretty shoddy state of affairs, especially considering that other networks do deliver SMS text messages between themselves even without roaming partnership agreements (for example Orange-Yoigo-Orange) – not to mention the fact that sending a text message from Yoigo to O2 also works without issues.

Unfortunately unless enough O2 customers complain directly to O2 (since they are the ones charging for, but not delivering a service), then I doubt that anything will get done about it anytime soon.

On the other hand all it may take is a single complaint to OFCOM.

Finally, whilst touching on the subjects of Yoigo and roaming, the current UK roaming partner for Yoigo appears to be “3” (H3H). A number of people have reported an inability to get any roaming service in the UK, with a Yoigo SIM handset. It is worth checking “3″s current coverage here. It looks like “3″ are in the process of upgrading their network and are stating that their coverage, in and around London, will be much improved by the summer of 2010. See here for details of this “regional” upgrade. Elsewhere, the coverage looks like it’s more than a tad spotty, with lots of “need to try outdoor” holes in it, so you might want to try that if you’re having trouble locking onto their network.

So all is not roses if you’re going to go roaming in the UK with a Yoigo SIM. On the bright side though, Yoigo tariffs are still pretty damn reasonable.

Additionally, it does seem that, prior to making the trip, you need to phone Yoigo on 622 each time you go to the UK to make sure that there is no restriction on roaming for your SIM. You can find the Yoigo FAQ on Roaming here (in Spanish) with links to countries, etc.

Though it’s been months after graduation, I’ve still been going back to work on NU student film sets. How can I resist my little dose of joy, working with some of the most talented people around? The last two weekends on the set of Karolyn Szot’s senior directing project Message Received were intense. But with such a positive underlying message, and the tremendous potential it has to help make our roads safer, those long hours were definitely worth it.

Doing a tracking shot of our lead actress Emily Marso and friends at choir practice.

Thanks to some great fundraising efforts and the generous support of people, our production got off to a strong start with a relatively big budget. I’m so glad people realize the need for funds to create good work. It’s allowed us to bring on the cutting edge technology and stunning image quality of the RED One camera (and more nutritious food for the cast & crew!).

Weekend 1 of filming was off to a big start! With about 60 crew and cast members all in one place, organization was key. Thankfully, Evanston Township High School was huge (imagine 5 dining halls!), and provided us with a safe and warm space.

First scene of the day was the choir room, where we had the special talents of one of Northwestern’s amazing acapella groups, The Undertones, as guest stars. Hearing them singing to the original tunes of our composer Patrick O’Malley was simply music to my ears.

Karolyn giving directions to our lead actors Johnny Langan and Kale Clauson.

Then it was off to shoot in the dining hall. That was where i witnessed the precision that managing extras required. Everything – from the clothes they were wearing to the seats they were placed in, to the individual actions they had to complete – was planned down to a T. “Close your binder”, “Drop your pen”, “Share your text message with your friend”. Everything needed to make the world around our main characters look as realistic as possible.

With so many people and so much movement, it posed an even greater challenge for our script supervisor. “Was I holding my sandwich in my left or right hand?”, “Was I drinking from my juice box right before I said this line?”, “Which item did I pick up first?” Questions came at rapid fire, but Jingyang always had the answers. The calm, confident answers.

Thanks to some fine schedule management, we wrapped right on time! Headed home to catch just enough rest for day 2.

DP Josh runs a rehearsal for the handheld shot while Sound Designer Marshall gets ready.

Sunday morning was spent doing the hallway scene. Once again, an intricate process involving many extras to make it seem like class had just ended on a typical school day. My Russian buddy, V, came on board as an extra just to see what the experience is like. He was somehow picked to play the jock, tossing a football back n forth with another dude. It was also an exciting time for our DP Josh as this scene involved the first handheld shot of the movie! Donning the giant shoulder cushion for comfort always made him look like a Spartan warrior. Or, as Benz would joke, Sparkles. Either way, having that Red One on his shoulder rigged with cushioned hand grips made him look like such a bada*s. It even said so on the slate.

And then it was on to spend the rest of the day doing the classroom scene, but not before some production design work to hide all signs of it being a Spanish classroom. The 3 HMIs blasting in from outside the window magically made it look like daytime in there.

Our classroom full of kids!

This scene also involved some awesome tracking shots and what was probably the most complicated shot of the movie involving 4 rack-focuses while on a moving dolly. Nice. It definitely took some precision coordination between dolly grip Alex, AC Andy, DP Josh and our lead actors. Something else I really liked? The beautiful moment watching Karolyn interact with the kids. Most filmmakers will tell you that the most challenging things to work with in movies are animals and kids, but I think she, with the help of our amazing 1st AD Rachel, handled the group of them wonderfully. And finally, with the introduction of Byron who played teacher Mr. Jenkins, it truly felt like we were back in school again.

To be continued…

•         He says he needs soup and a good woman to take care of him. Aw.
•         He says raw emotion is lame. Double aw.
•         Sweet is good, he says.
•         Sarcastic is good, he says.
•         He shrugs his shoulders when called Pookie.
•         He says we walk into his jokes like a blind man walking into an invisible tree, which makes us laugh but try not to analyze it too much because it gets confused.
•         He’s not Hitler.
•         He just needs to reflect a little.
•         He’s willing to soul search. Awwwwwwww!
•         He’s selling us in the most fun way, we adore his technique.
•         He is diligently trying to decide whether to drive his truck or his car to meet us next week.  He asked what our preference was.
•         He’s in the motherfucking AIR FORCE!

I love to write and though texting isn’t the most sophisticated platform for an argument (it’s right up there with arguing inside of a camping tent.) I’ve managed to master the art.

I just got out of a grapple to end the match that has went on for the past 2 hrs. Lmao, had we spoken on the phone I would have lost, because I hesitate in speech. Anyways, I was sittin here thinkin’, “Damn, my hands hurt from texting…I should ‘FATALITY!’ Him already…”. Final round ended like this:

Him: So basically ur telling me u regret it and u don’t want me to come.

Me: I’m telling you it’s 4am, and if you really wanted to see me or talk it would have happened over the past few days. You were ghost. How else should I take that?

Him: I have been busy Kris.

Me: Well I’m honored that you found it in your heart to pencil me in for the middle of the night. I’m sure you fuck with more convenient girls. One HAS to be awake.

Case in point, sometimes in the text battlefield, it’s unwise to end with a question mark as I did on that first response. Why? Cause even though you THINK your question mark is evoking feelings of empathy, and making the other person see your point of view, it’s NOT. You’re just leaving yourself open for an excuse. (See: I have been busy…) But, luckily for me, he provided a weak excuse without thesis or any supporting statements. That left him open for the take down…ring the bell dammit, he don’t want nooooo more.

Lol, also, keep a cool head. Wins like this are the result of being passive and not being too emotionally invested in the person/argument. I couldn’t care less about the topic at hand (why we couldn’t date/pick up where we left off, and why I didn’t want his company now or ever.) Yeah, I could have just ignored him to avoid drama or hard feelings. But I prefer closure. I like for both parties to understand and accept why the outcome is what it is. I think that’s why I struggled so much with sitches like Ant last year and KB this year. I had to BUILD my closure for those situations. Ha…not only has this been a rewarding writing exercise, but I learned something about myself as well. And no, I didn’t have to come outta pocket so rudely about calling someone more convenient (he lives 30 min away) But he had it coming. Saying he was too busy when he KNOWS I know otherwise is not only a statement about my importance to him, but it’s a cheap shot at my intelligence. People get fired in this bitch for smaller infractions. I was over our sitch before I could even be under him. (Dude, if I had time to blog about it last week, you’ve BEEN outta the picture!) Note to stupid guys: NObody’s sex is THAT good. And if it is, I’m glad I didn’t fuck up and let him smash.
Good Morning!

Today, the Florida Highway Patrol announced its efforts to reduce the number of automobile accidents during the Thanksgiving holiday. The holiday weekend results in a high volume of traffic because of family travel and tourism which could result in a higher number of traffic crashes. Therefore, FHP will increase its presence on Florida’s roads by increasing the number of officers on patrol, including personnel normally assigned to administrative duties. Troopers will be on the lookout for DUI, speeding, following too closely, and other aggressive driving behaviors. Florida Highway Patrol recommends the following travel safety tips for the busy travel weekend:

• Get plenty of rest before setting out on a long trip
• Observe and obey all speed limits
• Allow plenty of time to reach your destinations
• Drive sober, and only sober
• Buckle up!
• Eliminate distractions: Texting, talking on the phone, eating, adjusting the stereo – these are all examples of things that can take your eyes off the road, which is exactly what you want to avoid.
• Prepare your vehicle: Check fluids for proper levels, i.e. oil, gas and windshield wipers, and ensure your tires have adequate pressure and are in good condition.

If you plan to travel over the holiday, remember to take your time getting to your destination. Long car rides can be an annoyance, but they can also be an opportunity to spend more time with family. The law firm of Earle & Smith would like to wish you and your family a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.