It Knows What Scares You

The Halloween party last night was a blast. Good food, happy new friends and even a few costumes. Started the night off screening Halloween and Poltergeist muted to the tunes of Beck's new CD and ended with Brother's Quay and tipsy laughter. Mango margaritas were had by all after an initial blender death and a subsequent Target run by Andre. Now I've spent the day grading and munching on left over 7-layer dip and caramel brownies. Ummmm, goodness...

Happy Halloween week to everyone!

The Revolution Will Not Be Broadcast

A huge thank you to Jen Simmons and Chuck Olsen for visiting UNCW's Moviemaker's and Film Scholars Series to discuss Videoblogging and Self-Distribution. I left feeling greatly inspired and can't wait to see what student vlogs pop up as a result.

For those who missed the discussion or who are interested in getting help to set up your own filmmaker's vlog visit http://www.freevlog.org/ for easy to follow tutorials and inspiration!

Jen Simmons and Chuck Olsen at UNCW!!!

THE UNCW FILM STUDIES DEPARTMENT PRESENTS:

JEN SIMMONS AND CHUCK OLSEN - VLOGGING AND SELF-DISTRIBUTION:
HOW TO USE NEW ONLINE TECHNOLOGY TO DISTRIBUTE YOUR OWN IDEAS AND WORK AROUND THE GLOBE
October 26th, 6:30-9:15pm, Lumina Theatre, Fisher Student Union

This is an exciting time to be a mediamaker. The digital video revolution has given us access to the tools to make our own media and the online video revolution gives us the power to distribute without gatekeepers.

As part of the upcoming Moviemakers and Film Scholars Series, Chuck Olsen and Jen Simmons, leaders in the online mediamaking revolution, will discuss what innovative mediamakers are doing with this new power of broadcasting: sharing personal experiences, telling otherwise-underrepresented stories, and revolutionizing what film and television can be. They will also talk about what tools are available for you, for free, to distribute your own ideas and work around the globe.

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Chuck Olsen is the founder of Minnesota Stories (mnstories.com) called one of the best videoblogs by the New York Times. He is the producer-director of "Blogumentary," the first documentary film about the rise of political and personal blogs. He also works as the Minneapolis correspondent for Rocketboom.com and is a web production specialist for Clockwork Active Media Systems. His personal blog (blogumentary.typepad.com) was nominated for Best Weblog at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival in 2004.

Previously, Chuck was Senior Web Producer at Twin Cities Public Television where he managed the design, technology, and strategy of the corporate web site serving many audiences. He also helped produce web sites for nearly every local and national production, including sites for Liberty! The American Revolution, DragonflyTV, and many others on Webby award-winning PBS.ORG.

Chuck has spoken about blogs, videoblogs, and journalism around the country, including: SXSW 2006, Vloggercon, Woods Hole Film Festival, International Symposium on Local E-democracy, International Symposium on Online Journalism, Preview Forum, Twin Cities Citizen Media Fair, Minnesota Public Radio, Twin Cities Public Television, and numerous colleges.

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Jen Simmons is a writer, designer and director with almost 20 years experience mixing computer-generated media with traditions from theater, film and visual art. She also runs her own web design company, specializing in internet-based media broadcasting systems (podcasting / videoblogging / IPTV), as well as other blog technologies, and standards-based websites. She has taught and spoken at media centers, universities and conferences throughout the U.S.

Her short films Inclinations (super-16mm, 2005) and Bush for Peace (video, 2004) have shown to over two hundred thousand people via the internet and at over 130 film festivals (including Rotterdam, Media That Matters, Resfest, Frameline, NewFest, and Inside Out.) WFAA-TV in Dallas-Forth Worth called Bush for Peace "a brilliantly spliced national address that turns the commander in chief into a dove."
From 1992-2000, Jen worked at the Esperanza Center in San Antonio Tejas, running a multicultural safe space for the artistic expression of people of color, women, lesbians and gay men.

Jen also creates interactive projection compositions for the stage, most recently for Violet Fire: A Multimedia Opera about Nikola Tesla. Running both pre-edited and dynamically-generated images to four projectors from one computer, Violet Fire premiered at the National Theater of Serbia on the 150th anniversary of Tesla's birth, and in New York at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's New Wave Festival.

Armor of God

Went to the Moviemakers and Scholars series tonight where Dan Brawley (we love you Cucalorus!) presented nearly a dozen films from the Cucalorus Tribute DVD. Among the films was the short doc Armor of God. I've seen this one many time and afterwards Im always filled with a huge desire to run out and see this guy actually perform. Definately one of my favorite fest shorts that I've seen over the years.

Here's the synoposis for the film: "Can ear-splitting improvisational noise be considered "Christian music"? North Carolina musician Scotty Irving certainly thinks so. In his one-man act, Clang Quartet, he bangs the ground with hammers, plays instruments made out of hockey masks and crutches, and generally cranks it up for the Lord. Armor of God uses Irving's arresting performance to peer into his motivations for walking so far out on musical and theological limbs."

TMJ Sucks

For about three weeks my head/neck/shoulder dilemma was doing so much better that I found myself thinking, "What has all the fuss been about? I can do anything!"

And then about two days ago my TMJ reared its ugly little head again and boom, headache, shoulder ache galore. Its pure evilness I tell you. I'm a grinder, especially when things get busy, so my night gaurd, though not attractive, is my best friggin' friend sometimes.

In case you want a little TMJ education...here you go:

Who is Affected by TMJ Diseases/Disorders:
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that over 10 million people in the United States suffer from TMJ problems at any given time.

Causes:
Not all causes are known. Some possible causes or contributing factors are injuries to the jaw area, various forms of Arthritis, dental procedures, genetics, hormones, low-level infections, auto-immune diseases, stretching of the jaw as occurs with inserting a breathing tube before surgery, and clenching or grinding of the teeth.

Diagnosis:
Diagnosing TMJ diseases and disorders can be difficult and confusing. For example, facial pain can be a symptom of many conditions, such as sinus or ear infections, decayed or abscessed teeth, various types of headache, and facial neuralgia (nerve-related facial pain).

Symptoms:
Pain is the most common symptom. TMJ pain is often described as a dull aching pain in the jaw joint and nearby areas, including the ear, which comes and goes.

Treatment:
Because most common jaw joint and muscle problems are temporary, lasting only weeks or months, simple care is all that is usually needed to relieve the discomfort. Self-care practices, for example, eating soft foods, applying ice or moist heat, and avoiding extreme jaw movements (such as wide yawning, loud singing, and gum chewing) are useful in easing symptoms.

Happy Goodness

Then


Now


And that pretty much sums it up.

Hung out at Top Sail beach today. Walked with Andre. Read with Andre. Napped with Andre.

Sundays should always be this sweet.

Buffy Studies at www.Slayage.tv

In case anyone feels like geeking out on all the research and studies done on BTVS...click on the title above and visit the site dedicated to everything Buffy Studies.

Kittens and Republicans

Not a fan of kittens or voting republican since Im highly allergic to both, but felt it my duty as a good citizen to pass on the warning.

I'll Post What I Want To...

Yep, that's right, today my post will be dedicated to my little sister's new hair cut. Which ROCKS!

Girls on Film

Meeting today with the Chair of Women's Studies. Very interested in this idea of starting a Girls on Film group. May take a while to really get it rolling, but if we could find a way to make it an ongoing DIS or even a course I think it could be a really amazing way to create a connection between UNCW and the community. My goal would be to involve FST majors as well as Women's Studies minors in the teaching. Then the Kids with Cameras workshops would be a model. Partnering with Women's Studies and focusing on girls learning new technology seems like it would be an amazing collaboration.

Refusing to Participate

Very seldom do I simply break down and refuse to participate, but yesterday was one of those days. With grading to do, reading to do, a press release to write, two projects to coordinate, grocery shopping waiting and simple bathing calling my name...I shut down. Watched DVD TV nearly all day. And now, my Sunday has been spent catching up. Worth it? I would say so. After weeks of running non-stop and the last few days on fumes I feel like yesterday was a day I had to reclaim for myself. Apparently that translated into drinking a nice big cup of non-productivity. I guess sometimes you just have to cave.