sonic reducer

:: 2008 18 July :: 1.28am

drizzunk? schmammered? was macht es?

seriously, guys. 9pm. friday night (tomorrow... or today, depending on how you view it). sazerac lounge. be there (i will).

and fuck you jessa, for getting that damn song stuck in my head, right before i go to sleep. it will drive me insane.

; )

peace.

1 comment | feedback

:: 2008 17 July :: 12.17am

went to blues on the mall tonight with mom and lib.

i got some free beers (we went to the BOB during the thunderstorm), and i got to hang with my family and pontificate some. it was gratifying.

but after spending all day working, and all evening walking around downtown, i am completely beat. and i get to do it all over again tomorrow.

no rest for the wicked, i guess. and apparently i'm totally fucking wicked.

:: 2008 15 July :: 8.52pm
:: Mood: tired
:: Music: none

Summer Film Project
::

i have finished day two of our preproduction preparations to the caledonia location. there's a shit ton of stuff that needs to be done, but at least we're finally getting somewhere.

i'm not doing anything involving audio, as i said before. but i do at least get to do construction stuff, which i'm fairly good at. not like it's rocket science.

but yeah. it's fun. the people are cool to hang with. but it's a lot of work. i mellowed out a lot once i resigned myself to the fact that this is just a really slipshod operation, and that i won't be able to rely on anything. i will do the best i can to make it happen for them, but nobody, not even me, can ask for anything more than that.

and i think i'm doing my part. i certainly have lots of tools down there, and we're making decent progress. i'll keep you guys posted on the happenings as i can, but no promises. it's keeping me plenty busy.

the important thing for you to remember is:

"WALTER'S WIFE" FUNDRAISING PARTY
Friday Night - 9PM - at the...
Sazerac Lounge
1418 Plainfield Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI

Be there if you can. although, i believe it's 21+.

sorry.

call me if you have questions, or shoot me an email. i'll get more info as it becomes available. (like i said, slip-shod).

Peace.

:: 2008 19 June :: 4.49pm
:: Mood: getting frustrated

summer film
so...

as you are aware, if you're a devoted fan, i'm involved with the summer film project at GVSU. i feel kind of gipped in this whole experience, because it's been a mish-mash mess thus far. nobody knows who the professor is going to be, what positions the students are going to fill, or anything.

not to mention, i've been getting emails from a wide assortment of people for the last three months, all claiming to be giving me information on what the fuck is going on. seriously a class act. not to mention, the week that my summer project starts, is the same week as the world premiere of last year's summer film.

my theory is that, basically, the film department blew their load on last year's film, and now this year it's gonna suck. so, they're trying to publicize last year's film as much as possible in order to boost morale and public reception of GVSU's film dept. image or whatever.

and i'm a sound person. i have made that no small secret to anyone. when i applied for the summer film, i told them specifically that i'm a sound person, and wanted to work with sound if at all possible. at first they told me i was going to be a grip. which, you know, i was not into or whatever. but gradually i warmed up to the idea, talked myself into how awesome it could be, met a bunch of the other grips on the roster and tried to get friendly with them a little bit. and now i get an email, less than a week before class starts, saying that i'm now a set dresser.

yes. A SET DRESSER. what this has to do with sound, i know not. perhaps i will be able to manipulate the set in such a way that i will isolate its reverberative characteristics. yes? NO. there is no way i will have any impact on sound whatsoever! and all of that work i did on learning about lighting and shit, getting all buddy buddy with some of the grips is now completely out the fucking window. i'm with a bunch of other people i've never met, in a job i've never done. all the grips pretty much stayed the same. all the sound people changed, however, except for one. why i did not get one of the positions that was vacated during the shuffling, i know not. why the one person that remains from the initial lineup is the one that has no specific interest in sound whatsoever, is also beyond me.

i feel like i'm not in the right place. for awhile i was. i was in the right place, doing the right things. now, somehow, i've gone and fucked it all up. and i don't know how to fix it. and it's manifesting itself in extremely unpleasant ways. i don't know. something just feels really really wrong. and i don't like it. i'm just absolutely petrified that this year's going to suck. a lot. and rather than going on my way, continuing in my career like everyone else, i'm going to be the world's biggest fuckup, with no place to live, no job, no life, and $200 a month in student loan payments that i can't afford to make.

but i could be wrong.

4 comments | feedback

:: 2008 19 June :: 12.36pm

::
Job ID: 10593
Job Title: Bell Person
Work Schedule: Flexible
Hours per Week: 16-32
Wage: 2.65
Employment Start Date: ASAP
Employment End Date:
Job Description: Assist guest with luggage and other room deliveries.
The wage is $2.65/ hour, plus tips.
Qualifications: Previous customer service is preferred.
-------------------------------
okay, really. i mean, how can they get away with this? paying a person less than half of minimum wage on the assumption that their tips are going to compensate? there was another posting for a breakfast waitress (not a waiter, mind you) for $4/hour. i just don't see how that's fair. and i thought it was kind of sexist to ask for a waitress. i kind of wanted to apply, just to see what they'd do.

so yeah. that's all i got.

bonnaroo was sweet. i'm still recovering. i'm a peely bastard too. that's what i get for going out in the sun like i did.

peace.

5 comments | feedback

:: 2008 10 June :: 7.44pm

I was riding my lawlercycle today and I found a friend

LAWLERturtle was all LIEK "HOW DO I DO POND?"

and I said, "IT'S OVER THERE LAWL!"

but he just kept walking in teh wrong direction.

4 comments | feedback

:: 2008 10 June :: 12.21pm

YOU ARE NOW THINKING ABOUT RICK ROLL

1 comment | feedback

:: 2008 30 May :: 11.42am
:: Mood: wet ::
:: Music: muse ::

hey, it's been awhile

::

yeah, i know, it's been awhile. i'm sorry. i'm a slacker.

since my last update i've...

been to europe.
left my girlfriend.
moved.
been unemployed.
fucked around.
gotten some stuff done.
fucked around some more.

there. now that we're all caught up, i can move on to more pressing things.

okay. i really don't have anything pressing. i've been in a funny mood lately. and that seems to pervade everything. so, there's no sense of urgency.

but i dunno. something has to change. i mean, a lot of STUFF has already changed since last we met. but i'm talking about something within myself that needs to change. because i can't continue on this path and remain successful.

which is exactly why i don't want to go back to steelcase. because i could, but it would just be more of the same old bullshit. and i want something new, something different, something that takes me somewhere else. i'm moving on damn it, even if the rest of the world won't let me.

another part of moving on involves not smoking. which is really really hard. it's hard because i don't want to. if i wanted to, it wouldn't be nearly as difficult. but i don't want to. i like smoking. i like the way it tastes and smells and feels. but we're a dying breed.

*pause for irony*

got that laugh out of your system? good. me neither.

but yeah. i really have to cut it out. out of my lifestyle. out of my budget. i need to make more room in it for beer money.

party at emily's tonight. bound to be a great time. i'm looking forward to it.

bruce wanted some help installing a door tomorrow morning. should make the job go faster, and i might get some cash out of the deal. that'd be nice.

after that is owen's graduation party. and hunter wanted to hang out in the evening. but the hockey game is on at rich's. so i'm gonna have to figure out what i'm doing with that scheduling conflict.

and rich invited me to go down to indianapolis with him to see nada surf. it's in like a week and a half. i hope i'm working by then, but i'll have to ask for that night off or something. i dunno. we'll see what happens.

and i think bonnaroo is the weekend after that. so i've got two concerts in the span of like a week. and they're both overnighters. damn man. i'm never going to get anything done.

speaking of which, time to get off my ass and do something. this has been a truly leg-numbing experience.

peace.

::

4 comments | feedback

happygolucky4646

:: 2008 1 May :: 10.17am

1 comment | feedback

:: 2008 22 April :: 12.15pm

Best Deal Ever

8 comments | feedback

:: 2008 16 April :: 6.50pm

The Internet
BAWWWWWWWWWW BUTTTTTHURTTTTTT

:: 2008 16 April :: 6.46pm
:: Mood: tired, hungry, etc.
:: Music: my professor

job hunting
::

i hate looking for jobs. i mean, i get excited about all of the opportunities. but i also get really depressed about how i feel like i'm not good at anything. and all the things i am good at, aren't interested in having me.

whether it's true or not, even partially, doesn't really matter. it still feels crappy.

then again, maybe i just need to eat.

and i feel guilty for not listening to the lecture today. but it's just review. so there.

spud	:: 2008 16 April :: 1.37pm i'm kind of a hard person to be friends with sometimes, i think. not all the time. and not in all respects. but there are a few areas where i'm definitely lacking. but that's okay, because i'm still not really that bad. 2 comments \| feedback

spud	:: 2008 15 April :: 7.16pm i walked out of class today because i was frustrated. probably not a good choice, but there you are. at least i made amends with my groupmates. that's the important part. 4 comments \| feedback

:: 2008 14 April :: 11.59pm
:: Mood: better
:: Music: radiohead - no surprises

::

i feel much better after today. i'm still kind of pissed about some stuff. and the wings lost. but at least, for whatever reason, i managed to evade the same sort of funkiness that's been haunting my shadows for the past week or two.

and there's nothing but good on the horizon. so, shut the fuck up, brain!

spud	:: 2008 8 April :: 1.39am it kind of reminds me of that episode of pete and pete where they tried to stay awake for like three days straight. or something. i think it's bedtime. 5 comments \| feedback

:: 2008 7 April :: 5.17am
:: Music: 311 - don't tread on me

i like how at some point it transitions in conceptualization from a very late night, to a very early morning. and yet, the task of nabbing down precisely where that transition occurs is nigh-on impossible.

my guess is that it's right around the time when the birds start chirping.

...

yep, i hear 'em.

:: 2008 7 April :: 2.41am

wow. it's gonna be a long stretch to exams.

and an early morning tomorrow. i'll be ready to crash once i get done at the scientists meeting tomorrow night. but that'll be fun, at least. the events leading up to it, not so much.

although, filming went reasonably well today. and i got some free food out of the deal. and i met a guy who wants to record me on drums. and i got to play drums at that party last night, which also had some free food and was a lot of fun. and i got to play drums and hear dad's new band on friday, and have some free food after that as well. so, the themes for this weekend were : party, free food, and drums.

not too bad. except that i got nothing accomplished and slept way too late this morning. but it all worked out, i guess.

:: 2008 3 April :: 12.23am

you know. sometimes i just don't understand.

most times, in fact.

i just wonder where the fuck i went so wrong. when it all looked so promising. and then there are those other times when i wonder how in the hell it worked out so perfectly, when i thought it would be shit. and either way, i was fucking wrong, and didn't get a chance to appreciate it, because i was so busy being wrong.

and then i failed college. or at least pissed a bunch of people off for being stupid. and pissed myself off even more.

i've been ridiculously angry all day today, and i don't understand it. i really need to blow off some steam.

7 comments | feedback

:: 2008 25 March :: 5.46pm
:: Music: temple of the dog

i had a dream last night that i played hockey with the red wings. i was really bad. but they still liked having me on the team, for whatever reason. it was one of those dreams where it's really frustrating, because you can't move as fast as you know that you can. and you keep trying to will your body to do stuff, but it won't. before that i was driving in a car with my sister. which i think was a continuation of a previous dream i'd had.

did the in-class shoot today. it kinda sucked balls, but whatever.

robby had to cancel today. which i guess is okay. i just wish he would have told me ahead of time so i wouldn't have had to go and reserve the recorder and have dad bring the mics out and all of that happy horseshit. but i suppose it was for the best. it gave me time to get more accustomed to the machine and think through exactly how i want to set it up when he actually can record.

also, i couldn't talk to the financial aid people today. but i made an appointment for next wednesday. and i might be able to do walk-ins before the appointment. i'm debating on how urgent my need is. well, i need $2000 by april 25, if at all possible. so pretty urgent, i suppose.

then again, i won't be able to give them anything if i can't register for the class, which i also have to wait on. i talked to the lady in the school of com office today, and she said that the names hadn't been cleared yet, and to try again next monday. and if they're not up by next monday, i'll just have to wait longer.

and the honors college still hasn't cleared me for WRT 305 yet, either.

so all around, a whole bunch of waiting for people to get their shit together. which is frustrating. but there's nothing i can do about it, other than wait, so i might as well just relax and enjoy.

there's a free trade concert tonight that i'm helping out at. the scientists are running the pa and recorder for the show. should be fun. i enjoy doing that stuff, and they're good people. always a good time.

:: 2008 24 March :: 11.23pm

dear god,

if i go deaf because i'm the first person to ever be diagnosed with a "skull infection" i am going to be pissed at you until further notice.

sincerely,
Chris

actually, my nose is getting a lot better. but now my left ear is all messed up. it's happened two or three times now where i go to blow my nose, and then i blow too hard or something, and my ear pops, and then it rings and feels all funky, occasionally making more popping/swelling sounds, until eventually it goes away. but the entire time it's like that, i can't hear shit. i know it's something to do with my eardrum. but that doesn't make me feel any better. i kind of need my eardrum if i want to work in a recording studio. motherfucker.

i feel good though. i got a lot of shit done today. and i have lots more to do tomorrow. should be cool though. i'm definitely getting somewhere with stuff and things. always gratifying.

5 comments | feedback

:: 2008 21 March :: 1.15pm
:: Mood: unintelligent

yay!

thanks andy!

here you go:

*names have been changed, for fun and profit*

so, i'm a little slow sometimes. we all know this to be true.

i got an email awhile back from FRED, saying something along the lines of "i was listening to music on xxxxxxx.com, and it made me think/feel some of our conversation a while back. you should check it out." so, i was like 'okay. don't recall having any conversation of this sort with FRED. but hey, i forget things all the time.' so, life went on. a little while later i actually went and checked out the site. it was sweet, so i sent him a note saying it was awesome, and he replied with a couple of bands to check out. so i did. and i thought, 'wow, FRED's taste has changed a bit. i guess that's to be expected. and i like it. it's cool. but it seems different for him.' but it wasn't really that far of a stretch, so i didn't question it. life went on. then i made a project for my media II class, using FRED's music, and i sent FRED an email requesting permission to use it. and he replied saying it was fine, using what i understood to be some quote from the liner notes. only, when i checked the liner notes, i couldn't find anything remotely resembling the quote anywhere on them. huh. that's odd. so, i sent FRED a message today, saying that i had finished the project and, if he was interested, i could get a copy to him on DVD. he messaged me back with his address, so i could mail it to him. but why would i need to mail it to him, when FRED lives right in town? i could just drop it off at his apartment.

so, after working out the fact - and coming to terms with the embarrassment - that i'd been talking to the wrong FRED for about a year, i then realized that i'd roped myself into sending a dvd, having nothing to do with FRED (not to be confused with FRED) - or his music - all the way to fucking san francisco. that, and i still don't technically have permission from FRED to use the music that i'm sending to FRED.

all because i'm an idiot.

so, long story longer, no matter how many problems and snafus you encounter with all of your dealings today, whether at work, or at home, or with other bullshit, at least take solace in the fact that you're not quite as moronic as me.

sincerely,

FRITZ (a tribute to any dr. seuss fans in the crowd)

:: 2008 17 March :: 10.59pm
:: Mood: sick
:: Music: the fucking spin cycle. it's a squeaky bastard.

sick

this is a pretty typical conversation for us, i'd say:

me: yo
H: hey
just heading off
feeling better?
me: nope
H: huh
funny how that works
I suggest amputation
me: tie a tourniquet around my neck to stop the bleeding?
H: wrong head
me: no, that would only make it harder.
H: or turn blue and fall off
me: no, it does that on its own. it's a defense mechanism....
H: hmm
either way
register for classes tomorrow
me: yepper
H: I'm sunk
hst 300 - writing history and my capstone
plus the honors project
me: nice
H: boned
me: aren't we all...
H: you probably are
me: not tonight.
H: sucker
me: nope, not that either.
H: even worse
me: yeah
H: alright, I'm out
see you around
me: bye
-------------------------------------------
i like that it doesn't have to make sense to make sense.

alright, sheep-man. what's the next move? and how do i make this cold go away?

pretty please!

3 comments | feedback

holiday

:: 2008 16 March :: 12.07pm

everything was so new. it goes so fast.