Christmas nearing! Politics boiling.

     Hello!  To anyone reading this, Happy Holidays regardless of what you do or don't celebrate.  I think they're important: it's good to kick off miserably cold weather with some festivities, right?  Yesterday was the winter equinox which, according to scientists, is the very same day we're going to die in 2012.  I don't know how I feel about that, but what happens happens, man.

     This holiday should be interesting.  It's the second time my older sister won't be coming home from New York, and we also have deaths in the family surrounding the event.  I'm not upset about that as death is every bit a part of living as living is.  We should celebrate it!  But it's going to be different.  I haven't started shopping, and I don't really know what to get any of my family – Rachel already has her present (I have mine as well) – and all I really want is one of the exercise half-balls fixed to a rubber base and maybe some tools.  I'm easy this year.  That, and I feel bad because my parents are already spending enough money on me.  My car broke down last week and I just moved into a new apartment so I'm already broke... they helped me out.  Dead battery.  Now I need to get my anti-freeze checked.  I hate cars.

     I'm becoming so upset with everything going on in Congress that I've pretty much resigned to leaving this country.  People say they're leaving all the time, but Rachel and I think we've finally had it with the corruption, the sleazy levels of politics, and the outright denial of the freedom of American lives.  I'm not Republican, I'm not a Democrat.  I'm a free thinker.  I've had it.  People ask me where we'll go where government isn't corrupt.  I have an answer!  We'll go somewhere where the people don't give a flying f*** about their government, like Italy!  Tax evasion in Italy is like a national sport.  And politics is more like a high school club, from what I gather.

     I'm afraid that's exactly what will happen here though: This democracy built on the voice of its people will become so rife with corruption and avarice that the ordinary citizen will have no choice but to let it go, live passively to the whims of the bastards at the top.  I am disgusted.  It's interesting, despite the warnings of "The Forefathers" that we have divided into a bipartisan country.  There is no free thought, it's controlled through two routes (both in political association and money).  If you're not one or the other, you don't get the money.  That's that.

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Exams are over

Exams are over!  My life can return to normal!  This week I: Took an exam in scriptwriting, turned in a five minute mini-documentary, produced a live, fifteen minute radio show complete with legal ID's, promotional tools and three commercials packages, wrote an existential manifesto for the Brave New World, replaced my car battery, finished my KeyNote presentation for BallState.  Now I just need to get through the weekend, write a 1500 word statement on my value to the Digital Storytelling department and I'm gold for the break!

Phew!  A lot's been going on, and after 2:30pm today I will be completely moved out of my university housing and getting on with my life at my new apartment.  The sun is shining (not really).  

And despite not having any money, and owing bills out the ass... I'm really excited for Christmas!  I'm getting older and realizing that it's the people and the sentiment.  I don't care about the commercialization, or even the cost.  I have enough to get by, and I want to share myself with family and friends.  All you need is love, right?

In the coming few weeks, I have some major video projects to wrap up that should be fairly lucrative, so as long as the client comes through I'm good for money.  Security. What else can one hope for in this society?

I wish I had a video, or even a photo or two to upload.  Hmmm...  I saw this on YouTube yesterday and was fairly amazed:

Video Link: A Guitar Hero Christmas

I don't know how this worked... maybe because I don't know how automated lighting systems work, but I still think it's amazing.  Check it out, let it uh... fill you with cheer.

Peace!

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New music

  
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Rain (Walker Foley Final).m4a (4833 KB)

It's been a  while for anything posting, anything twitter, anything whatever.  We're entering exams week at UD and I just spent the past week getting together materials for Ball State, OurVinyl, several end-of-term projects and have been painting/preparing my new apartment for living.  Good news: We have cats!  I love it!  Cats in the house!  Desmond and Percy.  Beautiful things.

Anyway, here's a song I put together as a final project for my music technology class.  The upper synth melody is a little off in timing, but I like that; human is imperfection.  I was working on something else, but the weather has been so miserable lately that I decided to drop the original plan and make this piece about the rain.  It's drizzly awful here.

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Thanksgiving, among others

Here's some images I found Googling "Crazy pictures" and "sunsets"...  I just feel like I haven't poster anything visual in a while.  I think the muppet is my favorite one and in some unsettling way portrays how I've felt over the Thanksgiving weekend.  We went to the mountains in West Virginia to see the family and visit the family farm.  Shot guns and ate deer jerky.  I love seeing my cousins.  In a way, I think I'm closer with them than I am with my extended family in Dayton.  The Dayton family does whatever it can to avoid itself; I haven't seen some of them in several years, and I know it's a two-way boat, but we've drifted so far apart on these waters.  What can you do?  What I've come to: Family is most important.  And when I have kids, they will know it.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Dreams.

Strange dreams lately... The first, an esoteric nightmare with anthropic beings trying to genetically alter me and those around, one by one.  They spoke in a babbling language that Hunter S. Thompson himself might have invented, and lulled people into seclusion, where they would inject them with chemicals... once done, it was over.  You were theirs.  No understanding, no logic following.  Done.  It was terrifying.  A lot of the people who were affected went into this trance-like coma.

The second: More fun, but also scary.  Holed up in a large house defending human refugees against zombies (always on my mind, right?).  At one point the severed upper torso of a little boy grabbed onto the back of my shirt, screaming and flailing wildly with blood-stained mouth and hands.  I woke up so startled that I whipped around and almost punched my then-sleeping girlfriend in the face.  

"How'd you get that black eye Rachel?" 

"Uhhh..."

I don't know why I'm having these dreams consistently.  I haven't had "nightmares" since I was a kid... but I'm trying to look to them for inspiration and actually look forward to having them.  It's in our dreams where we truly and absolutely create... and these dreams have been completely lucid.

Maybe I should put them on hold until I finish the semester... I have so many projects and papers due.  This has been one of the most intellectually and academically challenging semesters of my college career.  I'm thankful for it, but at the same time I'm screaming my head off.  Oh, research paper due tomorrow!  It will be a long night.

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Bands I like today

The Dodos

Bowerbirds

Devendra Banhart

!

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Google Announces an OS

Google announced today a new operating system: Google Chrome OS

Looks to me like another ambitious attempt to monopolize our digital lives.  Google is taking a hold and could very well the way of the future.

I don't know how practical the OS looks though.  There's a video on the link above, tell me what you think.  I'm just imagining the slow grind of third parties to develop their software for a new OS.  I'm trying to imagine a whole new NLE programmed by Google that could rival Avid, Final Cut, and Premiere.  It's going to be an interesting year!

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Voice Over Work

I'm think I'm slowly becoming the voice of UD (just kidding)... here's a voice over I did for the Faith, Vocation & Leadership House at UD

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UD Commercial

Hey!

Here's a commercial for my university that I was in for a brief two seconds!  I was the production assistant for two days, and they needed some fill-ins on the second!

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Roman pic of the day

Another installment in my tourist series, this statue is a genuine Michaelangelo housed in some Cathedral on some road somewhere in Rome.  Wish I could remember, but we were on a walking tour at the time and they crammed so much information into us in a series of three days that it was impossible to retain all of it.  Luckily, there are photos!  It's funny: I started a travel journal while I was there which lasted all of three days until I realized "I'm in Rome!"  Stop writing and experience, right?  Now I'm realizing the value of travel journals... oh well.  Next time.

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Drying Up

Sorry for the delay in posts (this apology is mostly to myself).  I've been bogged with a  lot of projects lately.  The big one: Xavier Rudd interview.  I'm putting together a short interview video from a Xavier Rudd concert in D.C this summer.  You may be thinking, "Well if it was filmed this summer, why isn't it done yet?"  First: It's a free promotion.  Second: I'm trying to do a good job.  Good and free, when they do go together, take a long time.  Monetary priorities come up, you know?  

This week I've been looking for apartments to move in with two repatriated ex-patriots and mi novia.  I might be heading off to grad school in Indiana next year, so I want to live my last few months of my childhood in Ohio to the fullest.  Rachel will still be in school and then the work force, so who knows when we will be reunited for more than a weekend?  A lot of heavy stuff in the air, actually.  BUT, I did get past the graduate admissions at Ball State and now I just have to prove to the department that I'm worth it.  I think my portfolio will speak for itself... but you never know, it's a competitive market.

Walk

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Artist of the Month

The Flyer News Article

So for some reason, and I'm not really sure what, my school newspaper has declared me artist of the month.  It's interesting because I haven't been on the stage all year, and am playing catch-up with old video projects.  In fact, I don't really think I've been involved in anything deserving of this in recent... but hey, it's still cool, right?

It's making me think, though... I really need to step up on getting my own camera.  I need to start shooting in HD and kicking up my work.  I need I need I need.  

I'm trying to put together different ideas for web content which explore random footage/segments, small web shows, etc.  I really like what Blame Society Productions is doing with their content.  I think they have fun, they do what they want, and they have a pretty good market.  It seems like anyone can do this stuff with a  good enough idea... or in the case of Shane Dawson and a few others on YouTube, with enough persistence.  You build a fan base, generate a consistent stream of web content and market the hell out of yourself and you should be gold, right?  I guess that's why there's a lot of research being done on this stuff.  But that's what I love about the internet – It's the poor man's Hollywood.  Anyone can make it, it's a new era of the American Dream! Remember that?  Work hard and be rewarded?  You, too, can do it!

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Roman Pic of the Day

I'm not really sure where this was taken.  We got lost one day after visiting Keats' grave and wandered into a park.  This building was down an alley near that park.  I think it's amazing how well preserved these buildings are.  It's such a different concept: They renovate when things get old, we just knock 'em down and rebuild.  

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Roman Pic of the Day

Another installment designed to force me to upload all of my pictures from Rome.  This one is the view from the window of my classroom at the University of Washington Rome Center right off Campo Di Fiori.

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I'm a nerd...

I built a green screen in my room while my roommate's out of town.  We shot some "viral" videos and other things.  Thinking of launching a new channel on YouTube.  The idea's a little controversial... so I won't get into it right now, but I think it has a lot of potential.  Will post the vids soon!

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For a friend

This is for @prassacut on Twitter.  Struck up a philosophical conversation, and somehow got onto the topic of fountains in Rome

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Roman Pic of the Day

You can find graffiti almost anywhere in Europe.  Spain's my favorite place to see it, but there's some cool stuff on the walls in Rome as well.  Graffiti was often used to write political messages or pose social attitudes... in some places it was even used to ask questions.  Sounds a lot like the Ancient Roman version of Twitter.

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Quote of the Day

“They treated me like a child molester, so I just got the f*** out of there" (Booth,http://tinyurl.com/yg3f845).

This story is just too nuts.  I've been trying to recreate the events in my head like a cheesy A&E/Lifetime special dramatic reenactment, and I can't imagine how bizarre it must have been in real life.  Wow.

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First attempt at using loops in Garage Band

  
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FoleySongFinal.m4a (2801 KB)

I've been taking an audio technology class and, as an introduction to different audio programs and basic looping systems, we learned GarageBand... so here's something I cranked out.  The text I'm reading is from 1984, Brave New World, and a random lecture on physics I found through a Google search.

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Roman pic of the day

I walked by the Pantheon almost every day before class.  It was typically a forty-minute sojourn, except for the one day I took a taxi – very convenient, but afterward I was ashamed of myself.  This is one of my favorite sites in Rome... I really don't know what it is about it, but I was in awe every time I saw it or stepped inside.  The oculus in the top of the building is open to the sky, so when it rains outside, it rains inside.  There was only one day when the rain was significant enough, making it worth it to run all the way to the Pantheon, but unfortunately I was doing my laundry.  Some day.

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Thanksgiving!

So, I Googled Thanksgiving imagery in anticipation of one of my favorite holidays... and Ann Curry from NBC came up among a slew of cornucopia.  Why?

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The Weezer Snuggie

I think that says it all?

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I lied, one more

One more photo of some people that make me really happy.  Taken in Assisi... so I guess it's not the Roman pic of the day.

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Daily Rome Pic

Tourism:

A Roman pic of the day from my study abroad this past Summer.  I think you can guess where we're at.

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Zombies!

I want to make a zombie film from anywhere to 3 minutes to 5 hours. I like zombies and, after seeing movies like 28 Days Later, am convinced they can be done artfully without adding to the Ameritrash following (no offense to Romero at all).

Why? My girlfriend and I went up to Ohio University this weekend, which hosts one of the biggest, if not the biggest, Halloween parties in the United States. The costumes, for the most part, were fantastic – my favorite being the person dressed as the old man from Up!, carrying a train of some 100+ helium-filled balloons.

My least favorite: slutty bumblebees, slutty strawberries, slutty cops, slutty naval officers, and the slutty list goes on. I can't believe some of the girls of my generation. Rachel pointed out to me a girl whose skirt was so short that you could see her labia, granted she wasn't wearing any underwear. I won't go into it, but there are a lot of people out there who really disappoint my perspective of humanity... Nietzsche would tell me to chill out. I should chill out.

Anyway, ZOMBIES! After our costuming plans fell through, Rachel and I went to a costume shop and grabbed some effects makeup to pay homage to our favorite horror heros – zombies!

You can check the photo out at my posterous account. I wish the photo was better, but I think we did a decent job. Doing the makeup inspired me to do a no-budget zombie film. It was easy, it was fun. I have cameras. And actors. Let's do it! So now in some of my down time, I'll be researching DIY disemboweling effects from the folks at Indy Mogul. The Magic Bullet Suite should really help me out too!

Zombies!

Zombies at Halloween.  When our costumes fell through, Rachel and I decided to rely on my experience with special FX makeup.  I think it turned out pretty well!  The fake blood we bought was called "Bloody Scab" and it came in this coagulated-gel-type form; we were literally able to "scab" it on and it looked great.  If only we got a better picture...

We went up to OU for the festivities and to say farewell to one of my best friends leaving for basic training.  It was fun, though neither of us are much for big crowds.  Saw some amazing costumes, including the old man from Up! He was carrying a train of 100+ helium filled balloons.  Wish I had a picture.

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Magic Bullet Suite 2009!

So, I don't have much time to get into this, but I just bought the Magic Bullet Suite for my Mac from a third party seller, Creation Engine. Not only did I get a 600 dollar discount for being a student (it only cost me $200!), but I was able to download the product within 24 hours and have it up and running on my computer almost instantly. It seamlessly integrated with my Final Cut Pro and After Effects programs and the applications make grading and cleanup work a snap.

To the left is a "Before" photo of a pic I took with Photo Booth.

Here's the after. Yeah, I know... the tone is completely changed. Looks is amazingly easy to use and understand and, with the help of my trusty Filmmaker's Handbook 2008 Ed., I'm able to follow along and understand the practical applications of each of its effects.

And speaking of The Filmmaker's Handbook, it's a great reference for beginners and pros, packed with tons of useful info that's helped me make decisions on lighting, video format, compression, storage, etc. I recommend it for anyone to have on hand at their NLE or even in the field. It taught me a lot of things about being in the field and camera set up that two years of classes didn't. I definitely recommend it.

Here's the link: http://preview.tinyurl.com/y998p88

Next purchase, I think, will be a secondary hard drive and an upgrade to FCS 7. From there on out: HD Glidecam, Camera and I'm a happy man. Well... until I can get a small sound system and a Hi-Def secondary coloring monitor! From there on out, the stars!

That's all for now,

Walk

Paranormal Activities

So,

Just saw Paranormal Activity with my girlfriend – SUCKED!

For all the Hollywood hype and stories I heard from people about theater patrons vomiting during the movie, or fainting, or leaving the theater early because they were so disturbed by the images, this movie really disappointed. I thought things more laughable than scary, really. I do however appreciate the subtlety of the scare and am glad audiences could appreciate that; I thought it was well filmed! And they even went so far as to cut the credits from the end of the movie for the feel of authentic footage. Cool. BUT! after the hype, the movie really leaves you with some empty expectations. I rank it pretty low on horror charts, but maybe it's the right thing for you if you're too used to Blah Hollywood "look at out behind you!" films.

That's all I've got right now... I was going to say more, but I'll leave it at that.

Walk

Dolphin Olympics 2009

Hello!

So, as you may or may not know the Dolphin Olympics are back! That's right, you are just one click away from the greatest athletic event this century has ever seen! Here it is! Go compete for yourself and then come back and we'll continue:

http://www.rawkins.com/games/do2/

Are you back? Great. How was it? Hard at first and slightly confusing? Just another stupid flash game? Well let me tell you, this particular game created by Alan Rawkins and first place recipient of the Casual Game Design Contest #3 has been the occupation of every second of spare me-time for the past week. A coworker at my on-campus job pointed me to it Monday, and I have been obsessed with breaking each and every record I set. So far I've earned 9,000,000 points, but compared to those of the high scores list, this number is laughable. It is an obsession too! There are mini-support communities for the game, including information, reviews, and (dun dun dun!) strategy guides and video walkthroughs -- yes, I've watched them; yes, they help. Dolphin Olympics 2 truly is, a game of skill and good timing. If you haven't, you should, so click that link and get competing!

Other notes:

Aliens terrify me, ever since I was little (I just watched the trailer for Fourth Kind). When my sister would babysit me, she would tell me she had laid her alien eggs in my carpet, and that if I got out of bed they would hatch and get me. Shortened: "I've laid eggs in your carpet. stay in bed or else."

Everything was always an or else when I was a kid.

"You do well in school or else,"

"You stay in bed or else,"

"You clean your plate or else."

It wasn't until I tread each of these waters that I discovered 'or else' meant Military School, an Ass-Beating, or a Sharp Rap on the Head with a Spoon in this order respectively. Being a kid was weird now that I look at it: always on the verge of some great unknown punishment. Religion used to do that for people, maybe it still does. I think I came out of it well though. For a while my mom had the fear that all good parents must have -- "Is my kid going to turn out all right?" Which is a selfish thought for the most part. Being a parent puts this heavy new responsibility on you to make a good product; it's a long haul and I think that's the dread men get the day of birth, pacing back and forth in the waiting room and huffing away on cigarettes. If your product is no good, who does it reflect on? I can't wait to have kids.

Well, I think that might be enough for now. Thanks for reading to this point.

Let me know what you think,

Walk

Personalities, Nietzsche and more!

Hello,

I'm reading about personality theory after talking to a friend I just met at a dinner lecture series about Dorothy Day. He's from China and very into documenting stories of healing and so turned me on to Tibetan medicinal practices around the country as well as in Europe... I guess there's a documentary he wants me to watch, but the name has slipped him. Either way he brought up personality types, claiming he's a Type A. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_A_and_Type_B_personality_theory)

I'm a bit skeptical about personality theory, or psychological categories... I mean, why do we have to strive so hard to lump each other into definitive categories? Can't we just be content with the individual, or is there other reasons behind it? Advertising, power, etc?

In a slightly unrelated ramble:

I'm always surprised with how content some people are to just accept things without asking "Why?" every now and then. Why structure? Why religion? Why anything? Maybe this is all existentialist ranting, but the more I read Nietzsche, the more I start to see this dualism in society between complacency and change (good and evil to Nietzsche). He argues that we settle into society and anesthesia to avoid pain, but by doing so we allow evil or change to take rise almost instantly. 9-11, being one of the most recent. Before 9-11 most Americans weren't aware of terrorists in the Middle East, and now. . .? Change sparked so quickly: the Patriot Act, troop deployment, unified patriotism. Amazing. But now we've almost settled back down into an everyday passive peacefulness (completely, if not for the ongoing war and issues with Iran) that we should ask ourselves, "What's next?" What is the next step? The next Awakening?

Just some thoughts. If not for you, then for myself.

Gotta run,

Walk