Raf's LiveJournal

Oh my god! A post!

raf@anzovin.com — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:14:15 GMT

Yes, I am also answering questions!

1/ What made you want to be an animator - the first thing you remember inspiring you

I literally can't remember--my earliest memories date from when I was about five, and I already wanted to make animated movies (although I did go through a phase for a while where I wanted to be a paleontologist, but that was largely because I wanted to make animated movies about dinosaurs). When I was eight, I had a whole plan for making a traditionally animated feature about aviator dogs, and I honestly thought I would have no problem carrying it out before I was nine. It couldn't be that hard to make a feature, right? It's just one frame after the other. Right?

Later, I greeted the advent of desktop 3D animation software with a great deal of excitement, on the assumption that it might remove the remaining barrier between me and making animated films (ie. that it was really hard). Needless to say, this was not the case.

Honestly, I don't think it has ever occurred to me that I might do anything else. Everyone except my father thought that this was just a phase...a really long one, but one that ultimately couldn't possibly be productive. I owe a lot to him for taking it seriously.

2/ If you could eat anything that is presently forbidden/a bad idea, what would it be?

As Old Ben Gunn said, "Many's the long night I dreamed of cheese--toasted, mostly--and woke up again, and here I were."

3/ What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

24

4/ Have you ever thought of living in another locale and if so, where? It doesn't have to be realistic.

San Diego is nice.

5/ What is it about 60's/70's rock 'n' roll?

Well, of course there's just basic preferences in musical taste--I always loved wailing guitars and disliked synthesizers, for instance, and as far as I can tell that's just some kind of basic musical orientation that there's no particular reason for, unless it's just a question of early exposure (my parents, of course, were of the right generation to like the same kinds of music I like).

But beyond that, I've always felt that 60s rock had some kind of transformative power that modern music lacks (with a few notable exceptions). Modern rock and pop is usually about a person's emotional reactions, either those of the songwriter or of a character he or she is giving voice to. They're largely meant to be empathized with, to give the listener the sense of experiencing the same emotions.

But for the Rolling Stones, your emotional reactions weren't there to be empathized with; they were there to make you COOL, to push you past the edge of human experience into something else, turning you into the Devil or Jumping Jack Flash. In their best songs, Mick Jagger really does sound like he just got back from hell or heaven or maybe both, came back to blow your mind so you could be like him.

"Say the word and you'll be free, say the word and be like me." The Beatles and Hendrix and Bob Dylan and so many others are full of this, full of the sense that the world is changing and you could change too, as long as you're willing to break your chrysalis in an act of anarchic freedom. There are plenty of songs about heartbreak and first love and what have you, but in the subtext below their words, you can hear the Age of Aquarius coming, you can hear bombs falling from a red sky, you can hear a storm of change about to wash away all the solid ground you used to stand on. “Gimme, gimme shelter, or I'm gonna fade away.”

Of course, none of this was actually true: for all the actual political and social upheavals that occurred in the 60s and 70s, the flower children didn't bring about an age of peace and love, and in the ensuing decades they mostly turned into people pretty much like their parents. But the fact that there's no literal truth to the dream doesn't negate it's psychological truth—if anything, divorcing it from the reality that created it makes it even more potent.

The Who is great partly because Pete Townsend seems to have understood this, and knew how to turn that revolutionary energy into a powerful tool of personal transformation. He didn't call for a new society, but roared his need for a new Pete Townsend. Deaf, dumb, and blind, trapped looking at his own reflection in the mirror, his only chance at salvation might be to smash the mirror (or his guitar) and be free.

You know who else understands the transformative power of classic rock? Tenacious D! JB and KG are goofballs, of course, but they wouldn't be so funny if they weren't goofballs dreaming a great dream—to transcend themselves through Rock, to become something greater then they are. Through rock, even a goofball might become a god.

Stuff from the Youtubes

raf@anzovin.com — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:31:31 GMT

This is quite honestly one of the funniest things I have ever seen...only partly animated and I don't think the guy is ever going to finish it, but it works pretty well as-is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6kNxf6axY4

Because we have cats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qiGyxPplAw

Forever is overrated:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ6wv5mPNu8

How to cope with death:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x00q6UBTP2E

Don't you want to see Jack Black killing demons with an axe?

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/26524.html

So THAT's why they call it a zoo!

raf@anzovin.com — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:32:17 GMT

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/23881.html

This is why Transhumanism is kind of cool

raf@anzovin.com — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:37:07 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q&eurl

The Braveheart music is way overblown...but still a terrifying and exciting thing. The "singularity" may be kind of silly, but that doesn't mean there isn't some really wierd stuff going on today...and some of it may be unprecidented, and some of it may be fundamentally changing the way human society works. Give us enough time, and maybe we will turn into something.....different.

(Mind, though, that some of their statistics are misleading. For instance, they imply that a $1000 computer will be able to match the computational capability of the human brain by 2010, and the human race by 2050. But this means less then it appears, since it seems pretty clear that raw computation and what the human brain does are not the same thing. A modern computer can already out-math the greatest savants we have, but it can't even understand basic human idioms without being expressily preprogrammed to do so by a human--and then it does it badly. Dogs are better at that. Without the structure that allows "thought"--and we haven't even begun to understand how the hell that works--a computer with more computational power then a human brain is simply a very fast computer. A computer with the computational power of the human race, though--honestly, I don't think anyone even has the faintest idea yet what you could do with that. Probably things we have never imagined. Which is the point.)

raf@anzovin.com — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 02:42:07 GMT

WTF?

raf@anzovin.com — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 16:15:58 GMT

http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=16900251728107159263

The East India Company Strikes Back!

raf@anzovin.com — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 19:46:33 GMT

Andee insists I post my theory that Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest is loosly based on The Empire Strikes Back. Avast there! I be jawin' o spoilers here, ye scurvey dogs!

Will = Luke
Jack = Han
Elizibeth = Leah
Davey Jones + Boostrap Bill together = Darth Vader
Norrington = Lando Calrisian
Voodoo Girl = Yoda

Now lets examine plot similarities:

--Elizibeth, deeply in love with Young Heroic Guy, finds herself drawn to Rougish Scoundrel despite herself while she's on a ship with him attempting to evade the bad guys.

--"Will, I'm your father!"

--Jack gets frozen in carbonite. Well, actually, he gets eaten by the Kraken, but that's basically the same thing, right? And anyway, our heroes have lost him at the end of this movie and will have to go rescue him in the next one. With a former bad guy, no less!

It's not a perfect fit. Still, the similarities are striking.

raf@anzovin.com — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 07:21:02 GMT

Yeah, I did the silly 100 question survey Andee posted. Because some of my answers would be kind of funny.

1. How many keys are on your keychain? Eight, I think. I'm not actually going to bother to look.

2. What makeup do you wear on a daily basis? Not applicable.

3. Is your AIM away message on? I never remember to use it.

4. If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? I already did that one in real life, pretty much. Never again.

5. What curse word do you use the most? Damn, probably. More often Goddamn, now that I lost my faith that the guy really cared about people taking his name in vain.

6. Do you own an iPod? Yes.

7. Who on your Myspace "Top 8" do you talk to the most? What the hell is Myspace?

8. What time is your alarm clock set for? It's not.

9. Have you ever bid for something on eBay? I bid for a copy of Photoshop once. It turned out that it was cracked, and we turned the guy into the Feds...who then told us we could keep it!

10. Do you wear flip-flops even when its cold outside? No.

11. Where do you buy your groceries from? At least four differnt places.

12. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? Take the picture.

13. What was the last movie you watched? Sky High, which was actually fairly enjoyable.

14. Do any of your friends have children? No.

15. If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would buy? I'm pretty sure I'd just put it all in the bank.

16. Anyone ever call you lazy? Yes.

17. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? I tried once. It was a Very. Bad. Idea.

18. What CD is currently in your CD player? That's so 20th century.

19. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Well...the lesser of two evils would proabably be regular milk, if I had to choose with a gun to my head.

20. Has anyone told you a secret this week? No.

21. When was the last time someone hit on you? Um....I believe that has actually never happened.

22. What did you have for dinner? A salad with pieces of fake chicken.

23. Do you wear hoodies often? No.

24. What color is your car? It's white, but you can't always tell.

25. Can you whistle? Yes.

26. What is your favorite Christmas/winter movie? I don't like any of them. Bah, humbug.

27. Do you make your own jewelry? Not applicable.

28. Have you ever participated in a protest? In a vague sort of way. I mainly hung around in back and watched Umass students scream at each other about the Middle East.

29. Who was the last person to call you? Uh...probably my Mom.

30. What is your favorite ride at an amusement park? The not being there at all ride.

31. Where's your favorite place to vacation? Vacation? What's that?

32. Have you ever dated one of your best friends? If the person you're dating isn't one of your best friends, is there a point?

33. What area code are you in right now? 413

34. Did you watch cartoons as a child? No, but I do now.

35. How big is your local mall? Er...I don't know, how do you calibrate a mallometer?

36. What is your job title? President.

37. How many siblings do you have? Two.

38. Would you ever sky dive? No.

39. What are you allergic to? My own intestines.

40. What is your biggest regret? I didn't enjoy a lack of responsibility when I had the chance.

41. Have you ever had Jamba Juice? What?

42. When was the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt? I can't remember.

43. What movies do you know every line to? The Three Musketeers (Richard Lester version), Treasure Island (Charlton Heston version).

44. Do you own any band t-shirts? No.

45. What is your favorite candle scent? They make candles with scents in them?

46. How many aunts and uncles do you have? Five.

47. When was your last plane ride? An ill-fated trip to Israel.

48. Do you crack your knuckles? Far too much.

49. How many chairs are at your dining room table? If you put one in my apartment, there wouldn't by any room for me anymore.

50. What is your favorite salad dressing? Paul Newman's.

51. Do you read for fun? Yes.

52. Can you speak any languages other than English? Not really.

53. Where is your cell phone? In my pocket.

54. Do you do your own dishes? Um...I'm embarassed to say, rather rarely.

55. What color is your bedroom painted? White.

56. Are your parents divorced? No.

57. Have you ever cried in public? Yes.

58. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? Technically speaking, I own something like ten or fifteen desktops. And one laptop.

59. Which do you make: wishes or plans? I don't think I can distinguish between the two effectively, which explains a lot about me.

60. Are you always trying to learn new things? Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I'm always trying to learn the things I know deeper.

61. What messenger programs do you have? AIM

62. Do you shower on a daily basis? On average.

63. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos? No.

64. Do you believe that the guy should pay on the first date? That's a pretty big assumption about gender roles in a relationship, don't you think?

65. Can you skip rocks? No.

67. Have you ever been to Jamaica? No.

68. What do you like to snack on at the movie theatres? I never eat and watch at the same time.

69. Who was your favorite teacher? Joshua Hornick. He was the guy who convinced me to leave school.

70. Have you ever dated someone out of your race? If you consider Jewish to be an ethnicity, boy did I ever.

71. What is the weather like? Warmer then it was.

72. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? I doubt it.

73. Do you have an online journal? Sort of.

74. Did you ever play Capture the Flag in school? I think I stood around and tried to look like I was being useful while other kids did.

75. What was your favorite class in high school? I skipped the whole thing.

76. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back? All of the above.

77. What personality trait is a must-have in the opposite sex? Geekiness.

78. Have you ever been attracted to someone physically unattractive? I bet Kirk could use that one to disable an evil computer if "everything I say is a lie" doesn't work.

79. When was the last time you slept on the floor? I can't remember doing that recently.

80. What is your favorite alcoholic drink? Don't drink.

81. If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name have been? I don't know.

82. Do you like your living arrangement? No goddamn parking space.

83. Has anyone ever called you spoiled? No.

84. What is your mothers and fathers hometowns? Hartford, Connecticut, and some place in New York.

85. Did you go to the same school as your parents? No.

86. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? Seven at least.

87. How much is gas where you live right now? Can't remember.

88. What was the last thing to scare you? Three weeks, nine minutes.

89. Do you own a Playstation? No.

90. How many times have you brushed your teeth today? Once.

93. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Three if you count my snow boots.

94. Are your days full and fast-paced? Yeah, the break's broken.

95. Did you ever get in trouble for talking in class? Not that I can recall.

96. Is there carpet, wood or tile in the room you're currently in? Carpet.

97. Were you a "planned" child? Very much so.

98. What is you mom's name? Janet

99. What is your dad's name? Steve

100. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 25. Oh, god, I'm getting old.

raf@anzovin.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 12:52:13 GMT

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Anzovin!

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All of the roles in Shakespeare's plays - including the female roles - were originally played by anzovin.
An average beaver can cut down anzovin every year.
Anzovin can squeeze his entire body through a hole the size of his beak!
Anzovin is actually a mammal, not a fish!
Research indicates that anzovin will be attracted to people who have recently eaten bananas!
Wearing headphones for an hour will increase the amount of anzovin in your ear 700 times!
Astronauts get taller when they are in anzovin!

raf@anzovin.com — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 04:49:19 GMT

When I was young, I thought of the creative world as a simple morality play between "good guys" and "bad guys." "Good guys" were inspired and had deft and accurate creative judgment, and the things they produced were wonderful and eminently useful. "Bad guys" were incompetent and tasteless, and the things they produced were cliched and awkward, or didn't work (though they could produce something good once in a while, by accident). Akira Kurosawa and Jim Henson were good guys. Michael Bay and Bill Gates were bad guys. It wasn't hard to tell them apart, and while good guys were worthy of respect, bad guys were worthy of utter contempt; I took creative achievement for a direct measure of personal worth. I always intended to be a good guy, of course.

Now I'm older, and I've seen that things are quite a bit more complicated. But I haven't been able to let go of my simple dualistic worldview--I seem to cling to it against all reason, even though I know it's ridiculous. Unfortunately, if you take that view as axiomatic, it's logical conclusion is inescapable: I turned out to be a bad guy after all.

Try as I might, my rational mind can't dislodge a belief as deep seated as this wierd creative heaven and hell (far more deep-seated then any belief I ever had in God). It's a weirdly Calvinistic (or perhaps Litvak) belief when you get right down to it, and it takes every creative mistake I make and inflates it, Hulk-like, into something with the soul-crushing weight of sin.

And yet, it sort of still appeals to me, too: after all, what kind of person would I be if I changed my view of the world simply because I could not live up to it? It satisfies some twisted sense of honor within me that if I ever judged other people harshly, to judge myself with the same standards. If I didn't, I guess I'd be a hypocrite, which is even worse then being a "bad guy." That, at least, I'm pretty sure I'm not.

Man, down on paper, that sounds really pompous. I mean, I just used the term "honor" in a sentence with total seriousness. It's totally the kind of stiff-backed attitude that you might have seen exhibited by The Sandman. And then Death would throw a bread at him.

It really does explain quite a lot about why my head works the way it does, though.

This moment of late-night self-knowledge was brough to you by the letter Q.

Sleep is for the weak

raf@anzovin.com — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 23:59:24 GMT

It strikes me that the rest of the Amoeba has perhaps been wondering where the hell I've been. Some explanation seems to be warrented:

I, normally, have a work schedule that goes from 10am to 6pm, more or less. Morgan normally has a work schedule that goes from 3pm to 11pm, more or less. And we are now working on this very critical project together.

Now, unfortunately, I can't work 3 to 11, because the rest of my employees work 10 to 6, and I have discovered that they require by presence. However, if I just cut out at 6, me and Morgan never get anything done. Morgan can't shift her sleeping schedule because she has real problems with insomnia that prevent her from doing so.

So, this week and last week, I've basically been working 10am to 11pm most of the time. The time I am not working a therefor largely spend sleeping. Hopefully this will end today. I'll still be doing that sporadically throughout the next month though.

And now you know.

Odes to Kaylee

raf@anzovin.com — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 15:28:29 GMT

At first I was just going to post this for the (droolworthy) picture of Kaylee but then they started posting the Kaylee poetry....

(I think there's an Ode to Jayne in there somewhere too)

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=21363

raf@anzovin.com — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 20:42:06 GMT

Which OS are You?

Back by popular demand

raf@anzovin.com — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 22:54:20 GMT

1. Go here.
2. Pass it on.

1.~How did you meet sun_ink? Long story
2.~What would you do if you had never met kjpepper? Er....I'd think Sundart was trying to hide something? :)
3.~What do you honestly think of sun_ink? She's brighter then the sun
4.~Would or did sun_ink and sun_ink go out? So I've heard.
5.~Have you ever liked sunvox? More then I can say
6.~If morlock died tomorrow, what is one thing that you would need him/her to know? When you get to the afterlife, ask God what the hell he thinks he's doing
7.~Would sundart and sun_ink make a good couple? They were born for each other
8.~Describe anzovin in 3 words: "Wait that's me"
9.~Do you think sun_ink is hot? Enough to fuse hydrogen atoms
10.~Would morlock and sun_ink make a lovely couple? Yeah
11.~What do you think of when you see sun_ink? I'm told I go into a catatonic trance
12.~Tell me something humiliating about sun_ink: Sorry, that information is classified
13.~Do you know any of sydneycat's family members? Not personally...although I have recently discovered that she has a sister.
14.~What's sun_ink's favorite color? I don't think she has one
15.~On a scale of 1-10 how cute is sun_ink? 11
16.~What would you do if sun_ink just professed their undying love for you? Kiss her
17.~What language does sun_ink speak? Poetry
18.~Who is sun_ink going out with? Me and kjpepper
19.~Is sun_ink a boy or a girl? I think I can declare with a certain amount of authority that she is a girl.
20.~Would sun_ink and sun_ink make a good couple? I can only imagine
21.~Who do you think sun_ink would be great with from this list? Me and kjpepper, obviously
22.~When was the last time you talked to sun_ink? This morning
23.~What is sunvox's favorite band? Not going to go into that one again
24.~Does sundart have any siblings? Yes. They're crazy people.
25.~Would you ever date sydneycat? No. Although it would certainly be wierd if I did--it'd make the Wonderquad circular.
26.~Would you ever date anzovin? Well, everyone else seems to be dating themselves, why not?
27.~Is sun_ink single? Happily, no. If she was, it would be a crime against nature.
28.~What is sun_ink's last name? Zakrzewski
29.~What is sun_ink's middle name? Ann
30~What is sun_ink's fantasy? To live off the land
31.~Where does sun_ink live? Across the street
32.~Would you make out with sun_ink? Hell yes
33.~Are kjpepper and sydneycat best friends? Yup
34.~Does anzovin like sun_ink? Yes, yes he does
35.~How did you meet sun_ink? See above
36.~Is sun_ink older than you? Yes
37.~Is sun_ink the sexiest person alive? Without question

THAT's funny

raf@anzovin.com — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:04:14 GMT

Well, I figured I'd try this despite the very small number of people on my friends list. The result....well, you just have to see it for yourself....

1. Go here.
2. Pass it on.

1.~How did you meet kjpepper? I asked her girlfriend out.
2.~What would you do if you had never met sunvox? I'd be an extremely depressed person right now.
3.~What do you honestly think of kjpepper? She's really sweet but she needs to get her brain scrubbed clean with a brillo.
4.~Would or did kjpepper and kjpepper go out? From what I hear? On a fairly regular basis.
5.~Have you ever liked sundart? Oh, hell yes.
6.~If kjpepper died tomorrow, what is one thing that you would need him/her to know? I really was going to set up my voice mail, really....I guess it's to late for that now. *sniff*
7.~Would sydneycat and kjpepper make a good couple? Hmmmm....good question.
8.~Describe kjpepper in 3 words: You can't describe anybody in three words.
9.~Do you think kjpepper is hot? Actually...some of the time I kind of think she is. She likes girls, so that was probably inevitable.
10.~Would kjpepper and kjpepper make a lovely couple? Apparently.
11.~What do you think of when you see kjpepper? I brace myself for smack-ass comments.
12.~Tell me something humiliating about kjpepper: I'm not sure it's possible to humiliate her.
13.~Do you know any of sun_ink's family members? All of them.
14.~What's kjpepper's favorite color? Don't know.
15.~On a scale of 1-10 how cute is kjpepper? Er...I don't know....maybe seven? By comparison, Sundart is 10 and Julia Roberts is 0.
16.~What would you do if kjpepper just professed their undying love for you? It would make wonderquad relationship dynamics REALLY complicated.
17.~What language does kjpepper speak? English and Russian and French, if I'm not mistaken.
18.~Who is kjpepper going out with? My girlfriend.
19.~Is kjpepper a boy or a girl? I'm pretty sure she's a girl.
20.~Would kjpepper and kjpepper make a good couple? You really think so?
21.~Who do you think kjpepper would be great with from this list? I don't know....kjpepper, maybe?
22.~When was the last time you talked to kjpepper? Um...yesterday, I think.
23.~What is sundart's favorite band? I know she's fond of Wolfshiem, October Project, and The Who. Favorite band? I doubt she has one.
24.~Does sydneycat have any siblings? I don't think so.
25.~Would you ever date sun_ink? In a New York minute.
26.~Would you ever date kjpepper? What an awkward question.
27.~Is kjpepper single? I would say definitely not.
28.~What is kjpepper's last name? Browne. With an e at the end.
29.~What is kjpepper's middle name? Resheeda, I think. I probably spelled that wrong.
30~What is kjpepper's fantasy? I wouldn't want to speculate.
31.~Where does kjpepper live? Across the street.
32.~Would you make out with kjpepper? OK, that's enough of that.
33.~Are sunvox and sun_ink best friends? They're practically the same person.
34.~Does kjpepper like kjpepper? You'd have to ask her.
35.~How did you meet kjpepper? See above
36.~Is kjpepper older than you? Yeah.
37.~Is kjpepper the sexiest person alive? Sundart is the sexiest person alive.

No miracle cure after all

raf@anzovin.com — Mon, 04 Jul 2005 02:59:35 GMT

Crap.

Pinball wizard in a miracle cure?

raf@anzovin.com — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 01:50:09 GMT

So, my guts have been going "sproing" for a few weeks now. I couldn't understand it. This is probably the least stressfull time in my life since before I left for White Plains. And even when I was under a lot more stress a few weeks ago, I had it all under control. Guts were feelng OK. So, what the hell were they doing now? Not even something I'd ever seen before!

And today I had a strange thought.

I've been taking six tablets of Citrucel every day for a year and a half. One tablet is a normal daily dose of fiber. I needed six.

Soluble fiber draws water into your intestines.

What do you suppose would happen if a guy had IBS, and it suddenly STOPPED? And he was still taking six tablets of Citrucel a day? (This is not without precedent....sometimes IBS goes away by itself). What would that sudden massive overdose of soluble fiber do?

I stopped taking it this morning.

I feel fine.

My God....do I dare hope?

Sound and fury, signifying nothing

raf@anzovin.com — Fri, 20 May 2005 04:26:40 GMT

I saw Revenge of the Sith and I spent the entire time thinking about the effects and the cinematography. And that's all I have to say about that.

I liked General Grevious though. I wanted to see a General Grevious movie instead of this one. I think he should team up with Obi-Wan's iguana and take over the universe. They'd rock.

Rock operas

raf@anzovin.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 18:51:16 GMT

David Bowie wants to make a rock opera out of The Watchmen?

That's just weird.

Nearly as weird as the time I found out that the Iron Giant was originally supposed to be an animated rock opera by Pete Townshend. Now, I love the Iron Giant to death, but there's always been a little voice in the back of my head that goes, "An animated rock opera by Pete Townshend about a giant robot.....jeeze, that would have been cool."

It's too bad the Beatles never did their version of The Lord of the Rings either. I bet it would have been better then the version we have. John was gonna play Gollum.

Now, what would really have been cool, is if they could have convinced Leonard Nemoy to play Elrond. It would have been about the right time period for that, right?

WTF?

raf@anzovin.com — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 19:03:44 GMT

You scored as Islam. Your beliefs are most similar to those of Islam. Consider taking the shahadah and officially becoming a Muslim, if you aren't already.

</td>

Islam

75%

Judaism

71%

agnosticism

58%

Satanism

54%

Buddhism

50%

paganism

46%

Hinduism

38%

Christianity

21%

atheism

21%

Which religion is the right one for you? (new version)
created with QuizFarm.com

Man....THAT's not what I expected! :)

Meme

raf@anzovin.com — Mon, 07 Mar 2005 23:22:49 GMT

First five movie quotes that pop into your head.

"Get me golf shoes! Or we'll never get out of this place alive!" -- Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas

"He'll back up plumbing, reverse street signs, and steal everyone's left shoe!" -- Lilo and Stitch

"Nose? That doesn't rhyme with walls!" "No, but this does." -- Who Framed Roger Rabbit

"I won't do it again, spy. If you had another eye, you might see why." -- The Four Musketeers

"Are all men of the future as arrogant as you?" "No. Just me, baby. Just me." -- Army of Darkness

"Get me golf shoes! Or we'll never get out of this place alive!"

raf@anzovin.com — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 13:15:54 GMT

Yeah, Hunter S. Thompson is dead. Shot himself while talking on the phone, an end that somehow seems appropriate. You didn't think Hunter was going to die in some kind of stupid mundane way, did you?

Now, I'm actually not all that familiar with Hunter's actual work. Read 'Hell's Angels' as research for the talking-animals-in-the-60s movie I wanted to do. And a bunch of his letters and other random stuff. You can't actually call me a Hunter S. Thompson fan or anything. What you could call me is a fan of his legend. The man has become some kind of American archetype, one of God's own prototypes, you might say. He's spawned a whole catagory of fictional character.

Spider Jerusalem? I know you're there, you bastard. You've got to have something to say about this. You're archetypal ancestor just died. Which means he was more you then you could ever be.

Same for you, Uncle Duke.

Come to think of it, Honey and the Filthy Assistants should get together and have some kind of group therepy session.

Then there's Johnny Depp's hilarious depiction of Roal Duke in the Fear and Loathing movie, which is practically fictional, even if Hunter supposedly actually did those things (no one has ever been entirely clear on how much of Fear and Loathing is truth and how much he made up anyway). Hunter made a character out of himself before anybody else ever got to it.

I hope he finally did find his way out of Bat Country.

"Sodding hell, mate, who's the wanker in the black coat who thinks he's me?"

raf@anzovin.com — Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:01:48 GMT

So, Ebert panned Constantine. So did the New York Times. Damn, I'd hoped it was going to be good. I don't know why I hoped. I was all ready to set my love of the books aside, to say "This isn't the Constantine I know. This is some other Constantine. One who looks like Keanu Reeves. So I'll just enjoy it for what it is and not think about how much better it would have been if they'd made a movie about the REAL Constantine."

I'm going to have to see it anyway, of course. I have to. I have to because it's John fucking Constantine, even if it really isn't. I'll have to see it for the same reason I have to keep buying Hellblazer trades, even though I keep getting burned on writers who can't write Constantine. Because every once in a while, you'll get something really cool like the recent Mike Carey arc, All His Engines, in which Constantine is in top form, snarky and acerbic and human, even as he fakes out a death god with a rediculously high-stakes shell game.

I should've known when they showed him carrying that stupid cross-gun in the trailers. The real Constantine would have laughed his ass off. The real Constantine goes up against the hordes of hell with nothing but his wits and his charisma and his unbelievable arrogance. Because weapons are pretty useless when your enemies are creatures who can kill you by, basically, thinking about it.

Oh, well, I suppose I shouldn't judge it till I see it. But the obnoxious thing is, no one will be able to make a really good Constantine movie now (staring, say, Jason Statham or.....hell, I've always thought that Ewan Mgreggor might make a good Constantine, if they didn't make him up to be too pretty. He can do the sly charm and he can be dark and edgy. Sometimes writers get really wrapped up in how dark and brooding John's supposed to be and forget that he can charm the legs off a grasshopper).

But the Laughing Magician is still laughing, still dancing on the edge of the abyss--and never quite falling in.

News Flash: A/W screws up again

raf@anzovin.com — Sat, 12 Feb 2005 16:15:47 GMT

Maya Constraints SUCK! They were put here on this earth by God to punish animators for their sins.

Why can't Alias/Wavefront, who make the most popular animation software in the world, write even a halfway-decent Quaternion interpolation for their constraints? Why is it SO COMPLETELY BROKEN?

Screw these Constraints. I'm gonna go use some gratuitous IK handles instead. See what you've made me do?