Dodge Dart sighted?

Once again while driving to Oakland University I spied a vehicle that isn't exactly commonplace in American society yet. What was obvious from a distance was that it was a Dodge vehicle but I couldn't spot any model name on it as we drove north on I-75 towards Chrysler's headquarters.

I wasn't sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me or not, then I remembered the new model introduced at the North American International Auto Show in January: the Dodge Dart. I promptly looked it up after I parked at OU and I'm about 95% certain that I saw one of the new Darts on the road, not even in the eye  irritating camouflage that Chrysler has used for other pre-release vehicles.

Does this mean the Dart launch is imminent?

April 6th: King Julian Day!

Celebrating the world's most famous and beloved noble, King Julian Day is nearly upon us once more. The traditional method of honoring his royal lemur-ness is to act silly and sing "I Like To Move It" at the top of your lungs, even if you only know the following lyrics from the song:

I like to move it, move it
I like to move it, move it
I like to move it, move it
I like to
MOVE IT!

Beyond these requirements, you are only expected to make the best of your day and be friendly to everyone, especially those jealous of your awesomeness. So spread the word and joy that King Julian Day is nearly upon us once again!

Lions vs Packers 2011 Round Two

Ok, yesterday, on New Year's Day, the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions again. There's no way around that fact. It's immutable. The final score was Green Bay 45, Detroit 41.

So far, however, people in the news business aren't really commenting on a couple key points of this game.
They all point out that Green Bay's backups beat the Detroit starters, and that Green Bay outscored Detroit, but none are really pointing out that the referees completely blew a call that would have resulted in an additional Detroit touchdown in the second quarter: Titus Young successfully caught the ball in the end zone with one foot down already and dragged his other foot in-bounds before falling out of bounds. It was a touchdown. The home audience saw it. The play-by-play reporters saw it and called it as such. Both coaches saw it, but the refs decided that it wasn't a touchdown. Oddly, a few plays later, a Green Bay reception under similar conditions was ruled a catch. That play alone would have made the difference in the game, but was completely neutralized and unchallenged.

The refs in general seemed to be biased against Detroit in the first half. On two separate occasions to the the "touchdown that never was" a Detroit ball carrier who was obviously down by contact had the ball come free, and on both occasions it was ruled as a fumble by the refs. Coach Jim Schwarz was right to challenge both of those calls, but only one was overturned even though both were obviously not fumbles: the carrier had been down, and the ball came free after he was down.

But you know what? I'm not going to whine or complain any further about the officiating. At this point, I want to remind everyone that yesterday, the Detroit Lions nearly beat the previously 14-1, defending Superbowl champions in their hometown. More or less the same team that finished last year with a 6-10 record, came up a few points shy of beating the theoretically best team in the league. The Lions scored more victories in this season alone than they did in the prior three seasons combined! Green Bay was expected to win yesterday's game by everyone, but they were nearly beaten by a team few expected to have a winning season this year.

Much is being made of Matt Flynn's record setting day yesterday, but what about Matthew Stafford's? Not counting the failed touchdown throws (which would have tied and exceeded Flynn's 6 on the day; lets not forget that Calvin Johnson dropped what would have been another wide-open pass for a touchdown), Stafford threw for 5 successful touchdowns which was a Lions' record if I'm not mistaken, and 520 yards in a single game — a definite Detroit record! Yesterday's game set all sorts of records for the NFL and both clubs, but only Flynn seems to be getting recognized for his efforts. Stafford threw for more yards yesterday than Flynn did, but the difference is that Flynn won and is a backup quarterback, where Stafford lost and is the starter. You know what? That's bulllshit! It doesn't matter if you're the starter or backup in the NFL, a killer game is a killer game, and should be recognized whether you win or lose. Once you factor in that the defending Superbowl champions' backup is as good as any starting quarterback in the league, then you have to drop the idea that their "backups" beat the Detroit starters.

The raggedy Detroit Lions nearly beat the superbowl champions. Period. No it doesn't really matter that it was a close game as far as the stat books are concerned; a loss is a loss, and a win is a win, but all the official sports news reporters really need to look at it for what it was: the Defending Superbowl Champion Green Bay Packers Nearly Lost to the Detroit Lions!

A Busy Summer

This summer, I got a job for OU's radio station, WXOU, redesigned their website, participated in 6 films including one of my own, won a screenwriting competition, edited my film and submitted it to Sundance, and submitted my winning screenplay to a film production company. What have you done? :)

"Right and Wrong" Screenplay: Contest Winner!

In April, Dr Kyle Edwards, director of the Cinema Studies program at Oakland University announced the 2010-2011 Writing Competition. The contest was divided into two categories, screenplays and essays. I entered the screenplay I wrote in my Screenwriting class during the Winter I had just finished.
Although I had moments of self-doubt, I had a feeling from the moment I submitted it that I'd win.

I found out on Friday, June 24th, that's exactly what happened: I won first place in the screenplay side of things! Interestingly enough, a friend of mine won second place in the essay portion! God I love writing!

For the interested, the short story version is available for about $1.00 on the Kindle and the Nook!

Untitled

也许爱的希望破灭，
永远是真实的。
然而，无论是成本，
我是真的爱你。

A Thousand Steps A Day, A Thousand Days To You

Some days are easier than others. Some days I only need to see your smile to feel fulfilled, sustained. Some days, I only need to know that you're out there, and that you might be thinking of me. I know we haven't yet discussed our future, but on these days I can feel that we have a future.
Then there are other days, those like today. While it's true that we've exchanged kind words this day, it has been fairly difficult for me to make it through this day. Today, this moment, I could use your company, but you're far, far away.
There are a thousand steps in each day. A thousand problems. A thousand difficulties. A thousand struggles. Each day, I make my way through these things, doing the best I can to solve them. Most of the time, the battles I fight are simple ones: solving problems, doing homework, getting to class on time. Then there are the big battles: the ones where I wonder about you, who you're seeing, what you're doing, and whether you care about me the way I care about you. I fight the battles of self-doubt daily, and I try to assure myself that if you didn't love me, you'd have told me to leave you alone. Sometimes I win those battles, sometimes I don't.
Either way, I endure those battles, those steps, one at a time, a thousand times a day.
Each day, I want to point you out, and make it clear to everyone that it's you I love. Each day is in itself a step towards the future, a step closer to the earliest day I can see you again.
Each day, each filled with a thousand steps, gets me closer to you. It's already been more than a thousand days since I last saw your smiling face in person, and it feels like it'll be a thousand days until I see it again. But I swear to you, that unless you don't wish to see me, that it will be less than 100 until that day arrives.
Each day is still a thousand steps. Each day is a thousand battles. I will endure them. I will fight the battles. I will win where I can, and I will suffer where I can't. But I will see you again, and we shall see what we shall see.

Going All In

I don't know if I mentioned this before, here at least, but a short script I wrote for the OU Filmmaker's Guild was selected for production. Next week we'll be holding auditions, and shooting in the second half of May. I hold no illusions that this will make me rich — there's no money involved in this at all! — but it's a good start towards what I want to do professionally. I'll let you know more as it happens, but I've set up a blog specifically for my insights of the film making process at http://allin.anevilgeni.us.

Know Thy Heart

"To thine own self be true" Polonius said to his son Laertes in Hamlet meaning that one should always be honest to him or her self. One can interpret that to mean to be true in your dealings with yourself as well as others, but I choose to simplest, and perhaps most honest, interpretation: to know and understand myself.

I long ago pledged to be the best me I could be. Many times I've chosen honesty over lies even when the outcome would not be favorable to myself. Many times I've stayed true to my word when I could have gotten away with breaking it. I would be a liar indeed if I swore that I've always done these things. But I have managed to maintain the scales in such a way that I have done more positive, more honest works in this world than I have done negative, and I will continue to do so.

I do it not because I desire to be better than anyone else. I'm not, and never shall be. I feel temptation and darkness just as everyone does. But I choose to try to do the right thing because it's right, and not for any reward. I choose to be a better me because it's what I want.

I know my heart, and I encourage you to know yours.

Hold Faith

There's a lot going on the world right now. Wars, recovery from multiple earthquakes and tsunamis, "everyday" problems, and a lot of it seems bigger than life right now. There are positives and negatives at war in my own life, and in those of my closest family and friends. I can't solve everything, and often I feel like I can't even solve anything at all, but I'm holding faith that God will fix it all. God is almighty, God is all knowing, God is all merciful. Keep the faith, people! Keep the faith!