Ian Jones:. shrtcww.com

Couldn't stay good forever. · 2232 days ago

After an amazing weekend and a great start to the week, I’ve all but collapsed from this latest cold. If you have ever been on a plane this is the best way to explain how I feel. You know that feeling your ear’s get when taking off/landing – how your ears swell inside your head and you just can’t wait for the pressure to go away? My ears have been in that state since Tuesday. I can deal with the fever- 104 like normal, or the constant draining of my head – but this is the first time I’ve had a migrane and boy am I sympathetic to anyone who gets these often.

To add to my fustrations, work (fujistu and their partners in crime AT&T) are making me update my phone. I really go hate cellphones and after dealing with the BS in the store it’s no wonder why. The local branch in El paso de saratoga is more than willing to tell me that all phones are created equal – no phone has different reception/battery life/features what a load of crap. Then when I finally settled on the Sony t637, as like in this upcoming election it was the lesser of the evils. At which point the ‘agents’ in the store told me the phone was going to be over double what the company website had quoted – how odd. I left and went home to check that I had read correctly on the site – I had, so I called the corporate accounts phone number to tell me I was entitled to a completly different discount. Gotta hand it to them for thinking of the customer when you get a different answer from the same company each time you talk to them. This of course was only amplified by my migrane. Can’t wait to do that again tommorrow…

I wasn’t suppose to be down in San Jose until sunday, but thanks to the fine, helpful folks at Comcast, I had to get out of the city 2 days early. Comcast has been rewireing the filmore center for some time now, it wasn’t really a big deal to us as we don’t get cable – thats what the dsl is for. To my suprise, last night when I came home Comcast had left my room in chaos. One of their handy men managed to fight my bed across my entire portfolio. Once more he left the bed post sitting on 2 reams of animation paper, 22 weeks of my life were contained on the papers within – all useless. Thank god I haven’t had any of my good drawings out in along while so they were protected at the bottom, had they been destroyed like the rest – I don’t know what I would have done.

So much for the joy of the beginning of the quarter.

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Ah, the beginning of quarters · 2238 days ago

This weekend was good. Simply. I took some time out to enjoy life while the homework is coming in slow. A movie, a dinner, a show then some lounging about with some friends. Good stuff.

First day as a TA · 2242 days ago

Back to report on my first day.

The class is packed, no wonder Randy was looking for someone to help him out. Today in class Randy went into basic expressions, a tell tale sign for ones ability to grasp technical things like programming. Dan was the first finished, which suprised me as another teacher was participating, but not in nearly an amazing time. Set Driven keys amazed then throughly confused them into oblivion. Suffice to say, not the programmer types.

During lecture I looked through their homework to get an idea of what problems they would be running into later on when we get to skinning. The models are much better than what my classmates had coming into rigging – testemant to the great work Danny Riddel has been doing since he took over the reigns of Character Modelling. In fact, most of the models were edge-looped, (technical practice to help with deformation) something only Me, Jeremiah and Brian P. had done during our class.

There are 3 students that I will keep my eyes on as I don’t believe they will be enjoying this class at all. But between Randy, myself and the rest of the class they will be fine.

Off Topic

Go On Red, a local band, played during lunch today. Not bad at all, I actually liked the lead singers voice, a tribute to the mic check before show. They had a few songs filled the rest with covers of sublime, KRS-One and others. Lunch was provided by Andrea and her roommate. Good luck to them as they plan to bring a pack lunch to school. I remember dismissing the idea at thought.

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Dopamine · 2245 days ago

Last night I finally got around to watching ‘Dopamine’, a strong independent film care of Sundance, that explores whether or not love is but more than a set of chemical reactions. The main character is led to believe it is limited to this as he watches his parent’s endless love dwindle into nothing as his mother fades due to alzheimer’s. The movie comes to it’s own conclusion, but you can read mine.

First week of class thoughts · 2247 days ago

Well I write this a tad early as I still have yet to step into Adv. 3D animation or what ever class replaces effective speaking It’s going to be fine, but I already have a much better feeling than last quarter, which is very comforting.

Classes

MEL Scripting

My most challenging class, which is largely in part because Mary, program director, came down during class the first day to explain to my teacher that I was suppose to be some sort of brain child. Oh yippy!

Motion and Lighting

Easy/time heavy. Really is just a review of texturing class though thanks to Danny.

Advanced 3D animation

A synch. Going to be combined with Motion/Lighting as soon as I find out how.

Psychology

was with Skahil, not sure who I have now (changed classes) but regardless easy GE.

Motion Graphics

Missed the first week due to schedules, but it’s After effects, and titling.. not like it’s rocket science.

—Dropped—Effective Speaking

Had a chat with the teacher about my experience in 4-H. She told me that she would write a letter on my behalf and that it wasn’t worth my time/money to continue.

New faces

The new quarter has brought in new blood, and unlike previous quarters I have taken an interest in one of the new students. Go figure she is in fashion marketing. Looks like I am going to be learning alot about that program, as I am rather interested now. We’ll have to see how that goes.

New job?

I also went and talked to Mary to get my classes worked out and so I now have psychology in the morning on Tuesdays along with Motion Graphics monday morning. Which means I have a horrid 1-5 split Monday’s Why? So I could become a TA for Randy McCrimmon during character setup, best part it’s paid.

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