Thursday, May 26, 2005
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Short and Sweet
So, as promised, here's the rundown on the short film.
First off, let me say it's surprisingly difficult to squeeze a whole story into just a few minutes, but I think I found a nice compromise. I ended up writing a short story around a poem I wrote a couple months ago. Funny thing is, in doing so I found myself liking this little poem a lot more. I originally saw it as pretty plain and cheesy (just how I like my pizzas, incidentally,) but as I wrote the story around it, I was shocked to see it worked on more layers than imagined, hopefully you guys will agree.
So to give you guys a taste without totally spoiling the film, I figure I'll share the poem itself. Go easy on me.
-Jacob
The Robin's Song
by Jacob Drake
Spring came in with a sound
Of a robin singing in a tree
It came in swift upon the wind
And made the air alive to me
It came to town along the ground
And made it shimmer with dew
Grey turned blue and brown turned green
As the world was born anew
A royal blue jacket and a walk to school
As the spring sun warmed my face
The snow was gone from winter long
And budding blossoms took its place
Spring came in with a sound
Of a robin singing in a tree
The robin's song's been gone too long
Please spring, come back to me
First off, let me say it's surprisingly difficult to squeeze a whole story into just a few minutes, but I think I found a nice compromise. I ended up writing a short story around a poem I wrote a couple months ago. Funny thing is, in doing so I found myself liking this little poem a lot more. I originally saw it as pretty plain and cheesy (just how I like my pizzas, incidentally,) but as I wrote the story around it, I was shocked to see it worked on more layers than imagined, hopefully you guys will agree.
So to give you guys a taste without totally spoiling the film, I figure I'll share the poem itself. Go easy on me.
-Jacob
The Robin's Song
by Jacob Drake
Spring came in with a sound
Of a robin singing in a tree
It came in swift upon the wind
And made the air alive to me
It came to town along the ground
And made it shimmer with dew
Grey turned blue and brown turned green
As the world was born anew
A royal blue jacket and a walk to school
As the spring sun warmed my face
The snow was gone from winter long
And budding blossoms took its place
Spring came in with a sound
Of a robin singing in a tree
The robin's song's been gone too long
Please spring, come back to me
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Playing Catch Up
Long time no blog. Sorry about that, folks. The host site was down for a while (gotta love free) and I just got distracted with various things, but you know me, I always find my way back. I'm like the annoying puppy you just can't shake.
Since it's been a while, let's just go over some of the notable things that've been happening in my little corner of the world.
-I gave in to social pressure.
Yes, I finally joined the cellular phone wielding community. It's nothing fancy, but it does the trick. Plus it was cheap, which is always nice.
-I got culture.
A few weeks ago I went to the Cleveland Museum of Art for the first time. I roamed the endless galleries with my main man Corey and the lovely Sara.
-I got owned.
Corey first taunted, then completely destroyed me at Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. Not pretty.
-I got style.
I bought one of these babies. They look cool and they're for a good cause, check em out at the following link:
Christopher Reeve Foundation Dogtags
-Happy trails.
After a little farewell party at my house with Sara, Eric, and Monica, Corey packed all his things and made his way to New York City for his new job. Good luck, man!
-Episode III
I was one of the millions of sleep deprived nerds (some of whome were costumed) worldwide to show up for the midnight screening of Star Wars- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The review's coming soon, but for now I'll just say this...me likey.
-Change of plans.
Due to a few different circumstances, the feature film we've been working on is temporarily on hold. It looks like we'll now be filming it at some point next year, so there's more time to get the appropriate funding and so we can make sure the script is perfect. Or something like that, ask Zoe. ;) Instead this summer, we'll be shooting a short film. I've just finished the rough draft and sent it off to Zoe to see what she thinks. I'll give you more details next time...if you're good.
Until next time, stay beautiful, baby.
-Jacob
Since it's been a while, let's just go over some of the notable things that've been happening in my little corner of the world.
-I gave in to social pressure.
Yes, I finally joined the cellular phone wielding community. It's nothing fancy, but it does the trick. Plus it was cheap, which is always nice.
-I got culture.
A few weeks ago I went to the Cleveland Museum of Art for the first time. I roamed the endless galleries with my main man Corey and the lovely Sara.
-I got owned.
Corey first taunted, then completely destroyed me at Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. Not pretty.
-I got style.
I bought one of these babies. They look cool and they're for a good cause, check em out at the following link:
Christopher Reeve Foundation Dogtags
-Happy trails.
After a little farewell party at my house with Sara, Eric, and Monica, Corey packed all his things and made his way to New York City for his new job. Good luck, man!
-Episode III
I was one of the millions of sleep deprived nerds (some of whome were costumed) worldwide to show up for the midnight screening of Star Wars- Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The review's coming soon, but for now I'll just say this...me likey.
-Change of plans.
Due to a few different circumstances, the feature film we've been working on is temporarily on hold. It looks like we'll now be filming it at some point next year, so there's more time to get the appropriate funding and so we can make sure the script is perfect. Or something like that, ask Zoe. ;) Instead this summer, we'll be shooting a short film. I've just finished the rough draft and sent it off to Zoe to see what she thinks. I'll give you more details next time...if you're good.
Until next time, stay beautiful, baby.
-Jacob
Monday, April 04, 2005
Update
We got like 5 inches of snow this weekend. It broke Cleveland's snowfall record, we've now have a total of about 105.1 inches of snow fall this year. The temperature is supposed to be in the 60's by midweek. Gotta love Cleveland weather, eh?
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Good Day, Sunshine
Imagine, if you will, spending months on end sitting in a small place all by yourself. Your only human contact being with family and any friends willing to brave harsh elements and unfavorable conditions to come and visit. The internet and TV are your main windows to the outside world. It's not terrible at first, but after a few months, you begin to crack. You go stir crazy. This, my friends, is a little something I like to call a Cleveland winter.
Yesterday I, and the rest of northeastern Ohio, got just what was needed: an early taste of summer. A 70 degree day on March 30th, absolutely glorious.
I wheeled myself out into the sun and just let it soak in. I swear, I'm like Superman in that respect, I'm a solar battery. Let the sun shine down on me and it charges me up in a most unbelievable way. I'm almost instantly ready to go and you can't stop me until the wee hours in the morning. Unless it's a 90 degree sunny day, forget that.
So, after a minute, I decided to ride around the yard and test out my new chair to see how it handles driving in the grass. It's a bit bumpy, but nothing I can't handle. I darted up and down the street a bit, then my trusty sidekick and driver (or as I like to call her, Mom) was ready and we headed for the comic book shop.
Curse my weakness for the work of Alex Ross. I spent money I really shouldn't have spent on action figures based on painter Alex Ross' renditions of Superman, Bizarro, and The Flash. A bit expensive, but damn, they're cool looking.
Our next target was...Target. As we wandered past the DVD section, I heard the cries of a toddler who was either really really hungry or having a religious argument with his dear mommy. His screams were so passionate I couldn't quite make out the words, but I'm fairly sure he was yelling either "I want bacon!" or "I'm a Pagan!" Whichever it was, good luck to ya, kid. Now I'm hungry. Pagan bacon...mmm...
Anyway, I found a Wonder Woman figure I've been looking for for months. Score. Yeah, I have nerdish tendencies, shut up.
After a quick and uneventful sweep of Wal Mart, we dined at my personal favorite, Anthony's Family Restaurant. Great food, good prices, and cute waitresses. What's not to love?
About as full as we could get without actually exploding, we made our way home for American Idol, the only reality TV show I'll watch. Well, okay, I'm a sucker for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, a show that actually does good things. Plus it's slightly amusing to predict at which point Mom's going to cry. For the record, it's usually about 1.5 seconds after "Bus driver, move that bus!" Back to Idol. As usual, they eliminated the wrong one in my opinion. Doesn't matter though, I think Bo's going all the way.
What a day, what a day. I top it off by sitting here in the wee hours of the morning typing all about it. I need more days like this. Sadly, they're already predicting more snow this weekend. It won't be long til summer's here, but it sure would be nice if it'd hurry up a bit.
-Jacob
Yesterday I, and the rest of northeastern Ohio, got just what was needed: an early taste of summer. A 70 degree day on March 30th, absolutely glorious.
I wheeled myself out into the sun and just let it soak in. I swear, I'm like Superman in that respect, I'm a solar battery. Let the sun shine down on me and it charges me up in a most unbelievable way. I'm almost instantly ready to go and you can't stop me until the wee hours in the morning. Unless it's a 90 degree sunny day, forget that.
So, after a minute, I decided to ride around the yard and test out my new chair to see how it handles driving in the grass. It's a bit bumpy, but nothing I can't handle. I darted up and down the street a bit, then my trusty sidekick and driver (or as I like to call her, Mom) was ready and we headed for the comic book shop.
Curse my weakness for the work of Alex Ross. I spent money I really shouldn't have spent on action figures based on painter Alex Ross' renditions of Superman, Bizarro, and The Flash. A bit expensive, but damn, they're cool looking.
Our next target was...Target. As we wandered past the DVD section, I heard the cries of a toddler who was either really really hungry or having a religious argument with his dear mommy. His screams were so passionate I couldn't quite make out the words, but I'm fairly sure he was yelling either "I want bacon!" or "I'm a Pagan!" Whichever it was, good luck to ya, kid. Now I'm hungry. Pagan bacon...mmm...
Anyway, I found a Wonder Woman figure I've been looking for for months. Score. Yeah, I have nerdish tendencies, shut up.
After a quick and uneventful sweep of Wal Mart, we dined at my personal favorite, Anthony's Family Restaurant. Great food, good prices, and cute waitresses. What's not to love?
About as full as we could get without actually exploding, we made our way home for American Idol, the only reality TV show I'll watch. Well, okay, I'm a sucker for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, a show that actually does good things. Plus it's slightly amusing to predict at which point Mom's going to cry. For the record, it's usually about 1.5 seconds after "Bus driver, move that bus!" Back to Idol. As usual, they eliminated the wrong one in my opinion. Doesn't matter though, I think Bo's going all the way.
What a day, what a day. I top it off by sitting here in the wee hours of the morning typing all about it. I need more days like this. Sadly, they're already predicting more snow this weekend. It won't be long til summer's here, but it sure would be nice if it'd hurry up a bit.
-Jacob
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Saturday, March 19, 2005
A Night At The Movies
Being the good Corrs fan that I am, when I heard the new movie featuring Andrea Corr would be playing at the Cleveland International Film Festival, there was no question about whether or not I'd be attending. I bought the tickets last week, so Mom, Dad, Grandma, and I were all set to see The Boys & Girl From County Clare. We were on our way to Tower City Cinemas, which, appropriately enough, is right across the street from where I first saw The Corrs in concert one magical night last August.
I was pumped, this was going to be my first film festival experience! I tend to have an overactive imagination at times...okay, most of the time. I pictured a big, fancy, classy event. It wasn't a spectacle or anything, but it was cool.
It began with the hunt for the preferred parking for the festival, of course it wasn't where it was supposed to be, but we made due. We found a little valet garage and headed in.
It was funny actually waiting in a line to get into a movie, the only other times I've experienced that was for the Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars movies.
We got into the theater and made it to our seats right away. It was a really nice old theater, but because it was old, the design bugged me a bit. I'm a fan of sitting about halfway down or in the front of theaters, older theaters always seem to only have disabled seating in the back. Sucky, but oh well. We sat there and listened to the movie junkies running around to their friends and comparing the number of movies they had seen that day and giving their "expert" opinions on which ones were and weren't worth seeing. They rambled on and on for a while as I sat and thought to myself "I wonder if the film Zoe and I are working on will be showing here next year?"
Before the film started, there were a few speakers. One was a lady associated with the CIFF and the other two were sponsors. One of the sponsors grew up in Dublin and ran an Irish pub/restaurant in downtown Cleveland. It cracked me up listening to him talk as he kept pronouncing the word "film" as "fil-um." When they finished introducing the film, the exited to the back of the theater and out the door right next to where I was sitting. As the door closed behind them, I heard the one sponsor say to the Irish guy "Since when does 'film' have two syllables?" I busted up as Irish guy laughed. The lights went down and the projector whirred, illuminating the screen.
Ninety minutes, many laughs, and several "what'd they say?"s later (hey, the Irish talk fast), the credits rolled, the lights went up, and the audience applauded. As the crowd filtered out, we voted on our little ballots to say what we thought of the movie. It was funny, fun, highly enjoyable, and I got to see one of my favorite singers on a thirty foot high screen, do you even have to ask how I voted?
Halfway back to the van, we all suddenly realized we had to pee. Thus began the quest for the open bathroom! The four of us searched through three floors, bladders ready to burst, before a security guard told us they were all locked. It makes no sense that the Tower City mall closes all of their bathrooms at 9 PM, especially when there's a film festival going on. Plus the food court right next to the theaters was closed at 9, that seems insane. When you come out of a movie, you're hungry, they would've raked in the dough!
Anyway, we ended up running into a bathroom in a restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, which is connected to the mall. One word: swanky. I'm easily impressed when a bathroom has actual cloth towels and motion sensor toilets I guess. Too much information? Too bad, my blog. ;)
Great movie, great fun, great night. One way or another, I WILL be at next year's Cleveland International Film Festival. See ya there?
-Jacob
I was pumped, this was going to be my first film festival experience! I tend to have an overactive imagination at times...okay, most of the time. I pictured a big, fancy, classy event. It wasn't a spectacle or anything, but it was cool.
It began with the hunt for the preferred parking for the festival, of course it wasn't where it was supposed to be, but we made due. We found a little valet garage and headed in.
It was funny actually waiting in a line to get into a movie, the only other times I've experienced that was for the Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars movies.
We got into the theater and made it to our seats right away. It was a really nice old theater, but because it was old, the design bugged me a bit. I'm a fan of sitting about halfway down or in the front of theaters, older theaters always seem to only have disabled seating in the back. Sucky, but oh well. We sat there and listened to the movie junkies running around to their friends and comparing the number of movies they had seen that day and giving their "expert" opinions on which ones were and weren't worth seeing. They rambled on and on for a while as I sat and thought to myself "I wonder if the film Zoe and I are working on will be showing here next year?"
Before the film started, there were a few speakers. One was a lady associated with the CIFF and the other two were sponsors. One of the sponsors grew up in Dublin and ran an Irish pub/restaurant in downtown Cleveland. It cracked me up listening to him talk as he kept pronouncing the word "film" as "fil-um." When they finished introducing the film, the exited to the back of the theater and out the door right next to where I was sitting. As the door closed behind them, I heard the one sponsor say to the Irish guy "Since when does 'film' have two syllables?" I busted up as Irish guy laughed. The lights went down and the projector whirred, illuminating the screen.
Ninety minutes, many laughs, and several "what'd they say?"s later (hey, the Irish talk fast), the credits rolled, the lights went up, and the audience applauded. As the crowd filtered out, we voted on our little ballots to say what we thought of the movie. It was funny, fun, highly enjoyable, and I got to see one of my favorite singers on a thirty foot high screen, do you even have to ask how I voted?
Halfway back to the van, we all suddenly realized we had to pee. Thus began the quest for the open bathroom! The four of us searched through three floors, bladders ready to burst, before a security guard told us they were all locked. It makes no sense that the Tower City mall closes all of their bathrooms at 9 PM, especially when there's a film festival going on. Plus the food court right next to the theaters was closed at 9, that seems insane. When you come out of a movie, you're hungry, they would've raked in the dough!
Anyway, we ended up running into a bathroom in a restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, which is connected to the mall. One word: swanky. I'm easily impressed when a bathroom has actual cloth towels and motion sensor toilets I guess. Too much information? Too bad, my blog. ;)
Great movie, great fun, great night. One way or another, I WILL be at next year's Cleveland International Film Festival. See ya there?
-Jacob
Friday, March 18, 2005
Rollin' On
For those site visitors who may not know, I'm disabled and in a wheelchair, hence the title of my blog. I've had this last chair for a whopping twelve years. They don't even make this kind of chair anymore. Vintage, baby. I've bonded with the chair, we've gone a lot of places together and done a lot of things, but the fact is she's getting old. As much as I hate to retire her, it's time to bring in some new wheels.
Back in October we set things in motion to get me a new ride. We met with the folks at the wheelchair place, discussed what I needed, chose a chair model, and most importantly, chose the color. Midnight blue, ooh yeah. They put the case into the system and said they'd call us in four to six months.
A few weeks ago we got the call. A mix of excitement and dread came over me. I tried to let the excitement win out, but it wasn't that easy. Past experiences gave dread the edge. When getting past wheelchairs, my family and I have spent literally all day there as I was fitted and the chairs were customized. I wasn't in the mood for that again.
Three weeks ago I went for the first fitting. It was eight hours of doing our best to get this chair customized to my body. Seven of those eight hours were spent trying to get the back support right. After those seven hours they finally actually listened to me and tried the arrangement I suggested. What a surprise, it worked. At the end of the day there was a lot left to do, so we had to schedule a second fitting.
Monday we went back for part two. It was a short day, only seven hours. It was actually a fairly smooth day, we got the seat, supports, and controls set up as best we could and they let me leave with the new chair. It was the only true test for the chair, to see how I could function in my daily life with it. After we left, Mom and I decided to take it for a test drive at Target. Let me tell you, this thing moves like a bat out of hell and turns on a dime. Day one was a success. The following days were not quite as smooth.
The next day it felt like someone had messed with everything in the chair, though that wasn't the case. Everything about it was uncomfortable and I couldn't even sit in it.
Wednesday I decided to suck it up and head out in the chair again to give it another try. This is when it dawned on me that nobody must actually test these designs very thoroughly. The chair is designed to help take bumps easier. The front wheels are mounted on little arms that raise em when they hit a bump so that the big center wheels can take the brunt of it. Brilliant idea! The only problem? The motor is mounted so low on the chair the entire thing scraped across the bump! Talk about canceling out a great idea. The rest of the day went well as I went to the Cleveland International Film Festival, you can read more about that in my next blog.
Yesterday I did my best to compile a list of what all needs to be fixed. After fifteen hours of work, it's frustrating to have so many things still need to be fixed, but the fact is I should be more comfortable in the new chair, not in more pain. We've got to get it right. For the thousands of dollars chairs like this cost, there's no reason for this much discomfort and struggle. Mentally I'm not ready to go back for more work, but I've got to do what I've got to do. Wish me luck, gang.
And now, though it's a day late, here's a little cartoon by yours truly. Enjoy!
-Jacob
Back in October we set things in motion to get me a new ride. We met with the folks at the wheelchair place, discussed what I needed, chose a chair model, and most importantly, chose the color. Midnight blue, ooh yeah. They put the case into the system and said they'd call us in four to six months.
A few weeks ago we got the call. A mix of excitement and dread came over me. I tried to let the excitement win out, but it wasn't that easy. Past experiences gave dread the edge. When getting past wheelchairs, my family and I have spent literally all day there as I was fitted and the chairs were customized. I wasn't in the mood for that again.
Three weeks ago I went for the first fitting. It was eight hours of doing our best to get this chair customized to my body. Seven of those eight hours were spent trying to get the back support right. After those seven hours they finally actually listened to me and tried the arrangement I suggested. What a surprise, it worked. At the end of the day there was a lot left to do, so we had to schedule a second fitting.
Monday we went back for part two. It was a short day, only seven hours. It was actually a fairly smooth day, we got the seat, supports, and controls set up as best we could and they let me leave with the new chair. It was the only true test for the chair, to see how I could function in my daily life with it. After we left, Mom and I decided to take it for a test drive at Target. Let me tell you, this thing moves like a bat out of hell and turns on a dime. Day one was a success. The following days were not quite as smooth.
The next day it felt like someone had messed with everything in the chair, though that wasn't the case. Everything about it was uncomfortable and I couldn't even sit in it.
Wednesday I decided to suck it up and head out in the chair again to give it another try. This is when it dawned on me that nobody must actually test these designs very thoroughly. The chair is designed to help take bumps easier. The front wheels are mounted on little arms that raise em when they hit a bump so that the big center wheels can take the brunt of it. Brilliant idea! The only problem? The motor is mounted so low on the chair the entire thing scraped across the bump! Talk about canceling out a great idea. The rest of the day went well as I went to the Cleveland International Film Festival, you can read more about that in my next blog.
Yesterday I did my best to compile a list of what all needs to be fixed. After fifteen hours of work, it's frustrating to have so many things still need to be fixed, but the fact is I should be more comfortable in the new chair, not in more pain. We've got to get it right. For the thousands of dollars chairs like this cost, there's no reason for this much discomfort and struggle. Mentally I'm not ready to go back for more work, but I've got to do what I've got to do. Wish me luck, gang.
And now, though it's a day late, here's a little cartoon by yours truly. Enjoy!
-Jacob
Thursday, March 10, 2005
A Blog For Adrienne
Tonight Adrienne told me, and I quote, "you need some more blogs." Who am I to argue? So here we go!
I'll begin with a little update on things. As of last weekend, the rough draft of my screenplay is finished! Right now, Zoe's looking it over and she'll be letting me know what areas I need to work on. I'll keep you posted as things progress!
It's been one hell of a week here in JacobLand! It's Spring Break around here, so everyone who's more motivated than yours truly and going to college has the week off. That means tons of catching up with old friends and getting to know new ones.
On Saturday night I was lucky enough to have the company of Corey and Adrienne. We chilled out, watched Garden State, and ate mint chocolate chip ice cream, courtesy of Corey. Let me tell you, that's an accurate name, it was in fact minty, chocolate chippy, icy, AND creamy. Delicious. Great movie, yummy snack, and the company wasn't too shabby either.
Sunday I met the cutest poodle on Earth and had a mini game night with Corey and Mikey. *sings* Madden '05 and Mario Party, TimeSplitters 2 and Soul Calibur also, playing those games until my fingers sting, these are a few of my favorite thiiiiiiiings.
Monday- Slow day. Corey left for Oregon, I worked on a cartoon for Adrienne.
Tuesday, Adrienne made a return visit! We basically just sat and talked from 8 PM to 1:30 AM and had such a great time. We watched American Idol and the judges contradicted everything I said. Jerks. Plus tonight my girl was voted off! Amanda got robbed. Anyway, after Adrienne went home, she came online and we chatted til 5 AM. She's definitely cool, plus she has some strange kind of superhuman tolerance for my rambling.
And the fun doesn't end there, folks! I'm hoping to fill out the rest of the week with more company, special guests may include such fan favorites as Bridget, Maria, and maybe a super special third visit from Adrienne!*
*card subject to change
I can tell all my readers are wetting themselves with excitement. Well, go clean yourselves up. that's all I've got for now. More soon...if you behave.
-Jacob
I'll begin with a little update on things. As of last weekend, the rough draft of my screenplay is finished! Right now, Zoe's looking it over and she'll be letting me know what areas I need to work on. I'll keep you posted as things progress!
It's been one hell of a week here in JacobLand! It's Spring Break around here, so everyone who's more motivated than yours truly and going to college has the week off. That means tons of catching up with old friends and getting to know new ones.
On Saturday night I was lucky enough to have the company of Corey and Adrienne. We chilled out, watched Garden State, and ate mint chocolate chip ice cream, courtesy of Corey. Let me tell you, that's an accurate name, it was in fact minty, chocolate chippy, icy, AND creamy. Delicious. Great movie, yummy snack, and the company wasn't too shabby either.
Sunday I met the cutest poodle on Earth and had a mini game night with Corey and Mikey. *sings* Madden '05 and Mario Party, TimeSplitters 2 and Soul Calibur also, playing those games until my fingers sting, these are a few of my favorite thiiiiiiiings.
Monday- Slow day. Corey left for Oregon, I worked on a cartoon for Adrienne.
Tuesday, Adrienne made a return visit! We basically just sat and talked from 8 PM to 1:30 AM and had such a great time. We watched American Idol and the judges contradicted everything I said. Jerks. Plus tonight my girl was voted off! Amanda got robbed. Anyway, after Adrienne went home, she came online and we chatted til 5 AM. She's definitely cool, plus she has some strange kind of superhuman tolerance for my rambling.
And the fun doesn't end there, folks! I'm hoping to fill out the rest of the week with more company, special guests may include such fan favorites as Bridget, Maria, and maybe a super special third visit from Adrienne!*
*card subject to change
I can tell all my readers are wetting themselves with excitement. Well, go clean yourselves up. that's all I've got for now. More soon...if you behave.
-Jacob
Thursday, February 10, 2005
A Little Bit of Action!
Valentine's Day is nearly upon us, so what does that mean? Time for another one of my annoyingly overdue blog entries!
You may have noticed (yeah, all five of you) that updates to the site have drastically decreased. I assure you though, there's actually a good reason that doesn't involve me being lazy, quite the opposite in fact!
For those of you who don't know, a few months ago I found myself in contact with Zoe of Frankly Zoe Productions and we clicked. To make a long story short, Zoe asked me if I'd like to write a short film for her annual Youth Summer Movie Project. Excitedly, I accepted her offer.
I searched for an idea and finally thought of something we could possibly use, I tossed the idea at Zoe. She played with it a bit and tossed it back. We tossed it back and forth. Playing catch is fun. Anyway, Zoe finally said what I had been hoping she'd say. The idea had too many possibilities to be just a short film, we're gonna make it feature length!
So, ladies and gentlemen, that's why it's been so long since I've updated, I've been working on my screenplay, bay-bee!
I'm writing this bad boy, I'll be 1st Assistant Director, and yes, it appears I'll also be acting. What can I say? I'm a jack of all trades!
I'll be sure to keep you guys updated via this handy dandy lil blog here, so stay tuned...or favorite place...or bookmark...whatever you wanna call it.
I also promise the site'll have some more updates soon, including a brand new section I think some of you are gonna like. Oh, and do I have to beg you guys to make use of the Ask Jacob section? Come on! ;)
Until next time may you be Cupid's target. Happy Valentine's Day!
-Jacob
PS- The winner of the "Name My Computer" challenge is Sparroweye! Sure, she was the only one to enter, *glares at the rest of you* but she gave good suggestions. So, Sparroweye, Lois and I congratulate you!
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Y2K...5 Years Late
Happy New Year, everyone!
Well, I don't know about you, but my 2005 has gotten off to a hectic start. We had a nice Christmas, Jolly Ol' Saint Nick was good to me. After a quiet New Year's Eve at home with Mom, I had a nearly constant flow of company visiting. Over Winter Break I even met three new friends!
Uh oh, what's this? I think...yep...I feel a shoutout coming on, watch out! Hey Bridget, Adrienne, and Eric!
Okay, the shoutout's over, is everyone okay?
So this weekend was the big finale game night before everyone headed back to college and it was good. Hands were tested, thumbs were blistered, and Jeff was named the new commissioner of our Playstation 2 wrestling league.
The following day I was just in a bad mood, feeling a bit down. 11 PM rolls around and I decide to get comfy, watch a DVD, and chat a bit on my laptop. So I get comfy, I get my laptop...it won't start, it just shows a blinking question mark. Obviously the work of the Riddler. So I give Batman a quick call to see what's up, but apparently the Riddler prefers Windows. That blows that theory, so I immediately call Corey, a fellow Mac user, to see if I can get a nugget of wisdom from him.
"You're screwed." Not exactly what I was hoping for, but hey, at least he's honest.
I went on my PC to see what help I might be able find online. I found a few things, tried them all, none worked. I worked until 3 AM before quitting for the night, not knowing whether or not I had just lost everything I had spent so much time working on. No, I didn't have backups. I know, I know, shoosh.
Oddly enough, I had been planning all last week to buy a nice big external harddrive, just incase anything like this would happen. The day I had decided would be good to order it...yesterday. Irony. Ha.
Yesterday, the first thing I did after waking up was call the Apple help line. The lady was very helpful, but extremely dry. This was a prime example of why I hate phones. I tried to lighten things up with a couple quick one-liners and I'm pretty sure I heard crickets chirping at the other end of the line. I swear I heard her sigh a couple times like I was interrupting something. What a fun conversation.
Anyway, after a fifteen minute phone call and about an hour of work, my laptop's back on track and none of my info is lost. I DO have to re-update my system though. 97 MB on a dial up connection, I'm getting excited just thinking about it.
Y'know, I've had this laptop for a while now and aside from a few hiccups, she's been really good to me. I think she deserves a name, anyone got any name suggestions? C'mon, consider it an assignment, folks. Bring on the names!
-Jacob
Well, I don't know about you, but my 2005 has gotten off to a hectic start. We had a nice Christmas, Jolly Ol' Saint Nick was good to me. After a quiet New Year's Eve at home with Mom, I had a nearly constant flow of company visiting. Over Winter Break I even met three new friends!
Uh oh, what's this? I think...yep...I feel a shoutout coming on, watch out! Hey Bridget, Adrienne, and Eric!
Okay, the shoutout's over, is everyone okay?
So this weekend was the big finale game night before everyone headed back to college and it was good. Hands were tested, thumbs were blistered, and Jeff was named the new commissioner of our Playstation 2 wrestling league.
The following day I was just in a bad mood, feeling a bit down. 11 PM rolls around and I decide to get comfy, watch a DVD, and chat a bit on my laptop. So I get comfy, I get my laptop...it won't start, it just shows a blinking question mark. Obviously the work of the Riddler. So I give Batman a quick call to see what's up, but apparently the Riddler prefers Windows. That blows that theory, so I immediately call Corey, a fellow Mac user, to see if I can get a nugget of wisdom from him.
"You're screwed." Not exactly what I was hoping for, but hey, at least he's honest.
I went on my PC to see what help I might be able find online. I found a few things, tried them all, none worked. I worked until 3 AM before quitting for the night, not knowing whether or not I had just lost everything I had spent so much time working on. No, I didn't have backups. I know, I know, shoosh.
Oddly enough, I had been planning all last week to buy a nice big external harddrive, just incase anything like this would happen. The day I had decided would be good to order it...yesterday. Irony. Ha.
Yesterday, the first thing I did after waking up was call the Apple help line. The lady was very helpful, but extremely dry. This was a prime example of why I hate phones. I tried to lighten things up with a couple quick one-liners and I'm pretty sure I heard crickets chirping at the other end of the line. I swear I heard her sigh a couple times like I was interrupting something. What a fun conversation.
Anyway, after a fifteen minute phone call and about an hour of work, my laptop's back on track and none of my info is lost. I DO have to re-update my system though. 97 MB on a dial up connection, I'm getting excited just thinking about it.
Y'know, I've had this laptop for a while now and aside from a few hiccups, she's been really good to me. I think she deserves a name, anyone got any name suggestions? C'mon, consider it an assignment, folks. Bring on the names!
-Jacob
Monday, December 20, 2004
Fa La La La La and So On and So Forth
Happy Holidays!
It's been longer than I hoped it'd be between posts here, ah well. Sorry about that.
Anyway, I've been a pretty busy guy!
For starters, a couple weeks ago I made a spur of the moment decision and got my hair cut. I checked and it was ten inches long, so I decided it was time to donate it to Locks of Love. I had no hesitation, but when I heard the first snip of the scissors there was a moment of uncertainty that it was a wise move, by that time it was too late so it was really pointless to worry. My worries were eased when something unexpected and pleasant caught my attention. Over the speaker system at the hair place I suddenly heard a familiar melody being played on a violin. Could it be? I was hearing The Corrs in public? It was true! A rare occurance indeed, but what made it even more rare was that it wasn't "Breathless," it was "Runaway"! I just grinned and considered it to be a sign that I was doing the right thing.
Aside from that, I've been trying to get myself into the holiday spirit. I hate to admit it, but I seem to have a slight lack of seasonal cheer this year, which is really strange considering it's my favorite time of year. We've got the snow, we've got the tree, I'm mostly done shopping, but I'm just not feeling it like I normally do.
The other night, Mom and I went shopping so I could pick up a gift I hadn't gotten yet, I was hoping it might help get me into the spirit a bit more...boy was I wrong. I always hear people telling these holiday shopping horror stories, but somehow whenever I've gone in my 22 years, it's always been enjoyable, that's now changed.
First off, as we got up to WalMart and got out of the van, Mom realized she had left her purse at home. After a minute or so of debating while out in the chilly winter weather, we decided to forget the purse and just make it a quick trip. As I was passing through the automatic doors, a woman pulled her cart to the side and waited for me to pass. I was half way through the door when I heard her scream "Well, COME ON!" I gave Mom a look of confusion as if to say "Did she just scream at me?" I then realized she was screaming to her kid who was playing by the candy machines. Jolly.
Inside the store everyone just seemed tense and some seemed angry. I passed a baby in a shopping cart who leaned out toward me and said something along the lines of "Goondanununumungadikdik." I'm assuming it was either some kind of voodoo curse on me or a holiday greeting in Ewokese.
I got what I came for and tried to browse a few more areas, but the people crowding in the aisles and the noise of the place had me at my limit, so we agreed to get out of there. As we got back out to the parking lot there was a lady who parked totally wrong in a parking space, Mom told her the spaces go the other way, she said it in a very friendly and helpful way. The lady replied in a snotty and agressive manner "Y'know what? I don't care." and then stormed off with her kid. Ho ho ho.
I was tired, grouchy, and hungry, so we went to Anthony's, a nice little family restaurant near my house. Still frustrated from WalMart, we went in Anthony's and it felt like stepping into a holiday movie. They saw us coming and had a table ready for us right by their big Christmas tree before we even made it through the door. Over the speakers they had holiday music playing softly, the lights were dim, it was very nice and calming. As I ate my chicken paprikash, the hostess and another employee started to sing along when "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" came on and I couldn't help but smile. The atmosphere was perfect and the adorable hostess was constantly making me smile. It was exactly what I needed, a dose of holiday joy. I'm definitely feeling a bit more since going there, I think I might head back in a couple days for another dose and a few more smiles.
I wish more people could see that's what it's all about. It's about music and singing, laughing and smiling with friends and family, creating some cheer and sharing it with everyone you can. It's not about finding whatever the hot gift is that particular year. Sure, gifts are nice, but have you ever noticed that the best gifts are the small personal ones from someone you care about? When you break it down, it's all about love. It's not hard to see, but a lot of folks seem to forget it. Try not to forget, spread some love.
Have a safe and happy holiday season, everyone.
-Jacob
It's been longer than I hoped it'd be between posts here, ah well. Sorry about that.
Anyway, I've been a pretty busy guy!
For starters, a couple weeks ago I made a spur of the moment decision and got my hair cut. I checked and it was ten inches long, so I decided it was time to donate it to Locks of Love. I had no hesitation, but when I heard the first snip of the scissors there was a moment of uncertainty that it was a wise move, by that time it was too late so it was really pointless to worry. My worries were eased when something unexpected and pleasant caught my attention. Over the speaker system at the hair place I suddenly heard a familiar melody being played on a violin. Could it be? I was hearing The Corrs in public? It was true! A rare occurance indeed, but what made it even more rare was that it wasn't "Breathless," it was "Runaway"! I just grinned and considered it to be a sign that I was doing the right thing.
Aside from that, I've been trying to get myself into the holiday spirit. I hate to admit it, but I seem to have a slight lack of seasonal cheer this year, which is really strange considering it's my favorite time of year. We've got the snow, we've got the tree, I'm mostly done shopping, but I'm just not feeling it like I normally do.
The other night, Mom and I went shopping so I could pick up a gift I hadn't gotten yet, I was hoping it might help get me into the spirit a bit more...boy was I wrong. I always hear people telling these holiday shopping horror stories, but somehow whenever I've gone in my 22 years, it's always been enjoyable, that's now changed.
First off, as we got up to WalMart and got out of the van, Mom realized she had left her purse at home. After a minute or so of debating while out in the chilly winter weather, we decided to forget the purse and just make it a quick trip. As I was passing through the automatic doors, a woman pulled her cart to the side and waited for me to pass. I was half way through the door when I heard her scream "Well, COME ON!" I gave Mom a look of confusion as if to say "Did she just scream at me?" I then realized she was screaming to her kid who was playing by the candy machines. Jolly.
Inside the store everyone just seemed tense and some seemed angry. I passed a baby in a shopping cart who leaned out toward me and said something along the lines of "Goondanununumungadikdik." I'm assuming it was either some kind of voodoo curse on me or a holiday greeting in Ewokese.
I got what I came for and tried to browse a few more areas, but the people crowding in the aisles and the noise of the place had me at my limit, so we agreed to get out of there. As we got back out to the parking lot there was a lady who parked totally wrong in a parking space, Mom told her the spaces go the other way, she said it in a very friendly and helpful way. The lady replied in a snotty and agressive manner "Y'know what? I don't care." and then stormed off with her kid. Ho ho ho.
I was tired, grouchy, and hungry, so we went to Anthony's, a nice little family restaurant near my house. Still frustrated from WalMart, we went in Anthony's and it felt like stepping into a holiday movie. They saw us coming and had a table ready for us right by their big Christmas tree before we even made it through the door. Over the speakers they had holiday music playing softly, the lights were dim, it was very nice and calming. As I ate my chicken paprikash, the hostess and another employee started to sing along when "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" came on and I couldn't help but smile. The atmosphere was perfect and the adorable hostess was constantly making me smile. It was exactly what I needed, a dose of holiday joy. I'm definitely feeling a bit more since going there, I think I might head back in a couple days for another dose and a few more smiles.
I wish more people could see that's what it's all about. It's about music and singing, laughing and smiling with friends and family, creating some cheer and sharing it with everyone you can. It's not about finding whatever the hot gift is that particular year. Sure, gifts are nice, but have you ever noticed that the best gifts are the small personal ones from someone you care about? When you break it down, it's all about love. It's not hard to see, but a lot of folks seem to forget it. Try not to forget, spread some love.
Have a safe and happy holiday season, everyone.
-Jacob
Friday, November 26, 2004
Thankful
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Well, it's been quite a day in Jacobland. I woke up just before noon and watched the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I basically turned it on just in time to see Santa's appearance, which seemed a bit awkward to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Santa fan, Christmas is my favorite time of year, but the big guy didn't look well. He's always been a jolly old soul, but today he was extra jolly, I couldn't tell if he was HO-HO-HO-ing or if he was having a seizure. He was convulsing as though Rudolph rebelled and rammed an antler in an uncomfortable place. Santa, take it easy, you've got a busy few weeks coming up. Drink some tea or something, dude.
Anyway, if you're interested, I'd like to share a bit of my day with you all. My family and I headed over to Grandma's house around 2:00 to help her get everything ready. Everyone else started showing up around 3:00, the holiday fun begins. It was then that I met my new cousin, Faith, for the very first time. I know people say this about all babies, well, most, but she's just the most adorable little thing. She's got the biggest eyes and the cutest wild head of hair. Except for when she first got there, she didn't even cry, and even that was short lived, as if she was just briefly taken aback by all these new faces. It was so cool watching her eyes as they explored the room and studied everyone's faces, all of this information for her to take in. I couldn't help but smile as she looked at me with such a curious gaze, most likely wondering who I was.
Everyone gathered at the tables, 17 people in all digging into the holiday feast. Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, a bit of applesauce, pudding, pumpkin pie...I'm still full.
I told my aunts, uncles, and cousins of my recent adventures in Toronto and Niagara Falls, they all seemed to enjoy it. My cousin, Jacqui, told of her internship where she'll be spending a semester working at Disney World. It's just so crazy hearing these stories, watching my cousins and realizing how much everyone's growing up.
As the day wound down, group by group the relatives left to go home or visit other family. As Uncle Joe and family left, my Aunt Mary brought little Faith over to me to say bye. As Faith looked at me this time, she gave me the cutest little smile, as though she had studied me enough and approved, she then cooed the cutest coo as I nuzzled her.
Mom and I headed home from Grandma's shortly after midnight, time just disappeared. It was a great day.
So, you may be curious, what am I thankful for? I'm thankful for family and friends, old and new, those who have just arrived and those who have passed on. I'm thankful for all the incredible things I've seen and experienced this past year. I'm thankful for the opportunities that have presented themselves to me that will hopefully grow into even more wonderful experiences over the next year or so.
Until next time, cheers. :)
Well, it's been quite a day in Jacobland. I woke up just before noon and watched the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I basically turned it on just in time to see Santa's appearance, which seemed a bit awkward to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Santa fan, Christmas is my favorite time of year, but the big guy didn't look well. He's always been a jolly old soul, but today he was extra jolly, I couldn't tell if he was HO-HO-HO-ing or if he was having a seizure. He was convulsing as though Rudolph rebelled and rammed an antler in an uncomfortable place. Santa, take it easy, you've got a busy few weeks coming up. Drink some tea or something, dude.
Anyway, if you're interested, I'd like to share a bit of my day with you all. My family and I headed over to Grandma's house around 2:00 to help her get everything ready. Everyone else started showing up around 3:00, the holiday fun begins. It was then that I met my new cousin, Faith, for the very first time. I know people say this about all babies, well, most, but she's just the most adorable little thing. She's got the biggest eyes and the cutest wild head of hair. Except for when she first got there, she didn't even cry, and even that was short lived, as if she was just briefly taken aback by all these new faces. It was so cool watching her eyes as they explored the room and studied everyone's faces, all of this information for her to take in. I couldn't help but smile as she looked at me with such a curious gaze, most likely wondering who I was.
Everyone gathered at the tables, 17 people in all digging into the holiday feast. Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, a bit of applesauce, pudding, pumpkin pie...I'm still full.
I told my aunts, uncles, and cousins of my recent adventures in Toronto and Niagara Falls, they all seemed to enjoy it. My cousin, Jacqui, told of her internship where she'll be spending a semester working at Disney World. It's just so crazy hearing these stories, watching my cousins and realizing how much everyone's growing up.
As the day wound down, group by group the relatives left to go home or visit other family. As Uncle Joe and family left, my Aunt Mary brought little Faith over to me to say bye. As Faith looked at me this time, she gave me the cutest little smile, as though she had studied me enough and approved, she then cooed the cutest coo as I nuzzled her.
Mom and I headed home from Grandma's shortly after midnight, time just disappeared. It was a great day.
So, you may be curious, what am I thankful for? I'm thankful for family and friends, old and new, those who have just arrived and those who have passed on. I'm thankful for all the incredible things I've seen and experienced this past year. I'm thankful for the opportunities that have presented themselves to me that will hopefully grow into even more wonderful experiences over the next year or so.
Until next time, cheers. :)
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Baby Steps
Well the site's getting there, eh?
The art section's up, Ask Me will post it's first entry soon, my first review will be up any time now, and thanks to Maria and her PayPal the guestbook is active! Thanks to everyone who's signed so far! I'll do my best to keep you all wanting to come back.
Aside from working on the site contents, there's not a whole lot going on in JacobLand. I've got a few projects on the back burner that need to be tended to and hopefully when they come out of the metaphorical oven they'll be just right and you guys'll be seeing my name on the big screen. Man, the whole cooking metaphor has me hungry. Stupid metaphors.
Well, I best get back to work so I have fun stories to tell you guys. Until next time, keep your noses clean.
-Jacob
The art section's up, Ask Me will post it's first entry soon, my first review will be up any time now, and thanks to Maria and her PayPal the guestbook is active! Thanks to everyone who's signed so far! I'll do my best to keep you all wanting to come back.
Aside from working on the site contents, there's not a whole lot going on in JacobLand. I've got a few projects on the back burner that need to be tended to and hopefully when they come out of the metaphorical oven they'll be just right and you guys'll be seeing my name on the big screen. Man, the whole cooking metaphor has me hungry. Stupid metaphors.
Well, I best get back to work so I have fun stories to tell you guys. Until next time, keep your noses clean.
-Jacob
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Up and Running
Finally!
For my birthday this year my best bud, Corey, went for a unique gift and got me a domain name. Now, about 2 months later, jacobdrake.com is up and running! ...for the most part.
It'll be fully functional soon enough. Be patient with me, I'm a busy man!
Anyway, this blog is the first link on my site to be working. It's not much, but it's a step in the right direction I suppose.
So let me take a second here to thank a couple people.
Corey- Thanks for the url! I'll do my best to put it to good use.
Jenny- Thank you a thousand times for all your hard work in helping me get the site going. WebGoddess indeed.
You- Thanks for bothering to stop by and give this stuff a look. I hope I can be entertaining, insightful, fun, etc. for all of you guys to increase your web-browsing pleasure.
-Jacob
For my birthday this year my best bud, Corey, went for a unique gift and got me a domain name. Now, about 2 months later, jacobdrake.com is up and running! ...for the most part.
It'll be fully functional soon enough. Be patient with me, I'm a busy man!
Anyway, this blog is the first link on my site to be working. It's not much, but it's a step in the right direction I suppose.
So let me take a second here to thank a couple people.
Corey- Thanks for the url! I'll do my best to put it to good use.
Jenny- Thank you a thousand times for all your hard work in helping me get the site going. WebGoddess indeed.
You- Thanks for bothering to stop by and give this stuff a look. I hope I can be entertaining, insightful, fun, etc. for all of you guys to increase your web-browsing pleasure.
-Jacob
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