2007: We Hardly Knew Ye.
Well, friends, another year has come to its anticlimactic conclusion. 2007 definitely had its ups and downs for me, but I think it ended on a mostly positive note.
First of all, 2007 was the year of the job. After about 5 months of unemployment and serious, serious depression, I managed to score myself a job at Oxford University Press, and I loves it. My bosses are great, the job is interesting, and the people are awesome. Not wanting to stray too far from my film roots even though I'm now in production of a completely different medium, I am editing a co-worker's feature-length horror film. His previous two films have ended up on those "50 Horror Film" Boxed Sets that you see in Best Buy, so there's a chance my name could get out there, if only slightly, from this gig. It's also good practice, and keeps my head in a good place.
Another perk of the job this year was managing to get my hands on what is now one of my most prized possessions: A case cover of Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!) Not the jacket, but the cover of the book itself, completely detached from the book. Subsequently, when I went to get my copy of the book signed by the man himself and all his writers (which happened to be on the first day of the ongoing strike), he signed my cover as well, and was very surprised to see one like it.
Another good thing about 2007 was that it was the year of Mahjong. Quickly becoming my favorite table-top game, Mahjong combines strategy, luck, and psychology to perfection. I play the Japanese version, which is much more popular amongst members of the Yakuza than to elderly Jewish women. Hopefully there will be much more Mahjong to come in 2008.
I wasn't able to travel much in 2007, mostly because for the first half of the year I had no money, and for the summer I was still on probation at work and couldn't use any vacation days. 2008 looks to change all that, however, as I'm already planning a trip in February to visit C in St. Kitts, and over the summer to visit Chicago with J. 2009 = Japan, which is ridiculously exciting. We've been planning that since last year.
Didn't get to see too many concerts in 2007, but amongst the more memorable ones were Rock the Bells (f'ing Rage Against the Machine!), Pelican, and Clutch with Coheed & Cambria (I didn't like Coheed, but their 45-minute long encore jam sold me).
As far as movies go, 300, Knocked Up, No Country for Old Men, Ratatouille, and American Gangster are all up there on my list. I'm looking forward to seeing There Will Be Blood as soon as humanly possible.
Music? I seem to be so out of touch with new music now. I can't even tell you how many new albums I have from 2007, but I guarantee it's fewer than 20. Let's see, Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion, Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet and Nil Recurring, Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos and Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient were all quality albums, while Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold, Radiohead - In Rainbows, and Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero were all disappointing.
Finally, lest we forget the greatest thing to happen to the internet since the skateboarding dog... CHOCOLATE RAIN!!!
Anyway, on to the Resolutions:
1. Continue learning guitar. (Lessons start up again next Wednesday.)
2. Learn to play the drums.
3. Finish the recording studio/ media room in the basement.
4. Become an internet phenomenon. (I may have two different chances for that, but details on both will be forthcoming.)
5. Get a promotion.
6. Lose 45 pounds. (I don't think that's unreasonable over the course of a year.)
7. Edit at least 2 features. (I'm already working on 1, as stated above.)
8. Buy a DVX100. (Of all my resolutions this year, this one may actually be the loftiest goal.)
9. Finish writing at least 1 screenplay.
10. Record at least 1 album. (Hopefully in the finished basement recording studio!)
11. Brew at least 2 beers.
12. Something else.
Check back with me in a year to see how it went.
First of all, 2007 was the year of the job. After about 5 months of unemployment and serious, serious depression, I managed to score myself a job at Oxford University Press, and I loves it. My bosses are great, the job is interesting, and the people are awesome. Not wanting to stray too far from my film roots even though I'm now in production of a completely different medium, I am editing a co-worker's feature-length horror film. His previous two films have ended up on those "50 Horror Film" Boxed Sets that you see in Best Buy, so there's a chance my name could get out there, if only slightly, from this gig. It's also good practice, and keeps my head in a good place.
Another perk of the job this year was managing to get my hands on what is now one of my most prized possessions: A case cover of Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!) Not the jacket, but the cover of the book itself, completely detached from the book. Subsequently, when I went to get my copy of the book signed by the man himself and all his writers (which happened to be on the first day of the ongoing strike), he signed my cover as well, and was very surprised to see one like it.
Another good thing about 2007 was that it was the year of Mahjong. Quickly becoming my favorite table-top game, Mahjong combines strategy, luck, and psychology to perfection. I play the Japanese version, which is much more popular amongst members of the Yakuza than to elderly Jewish women. Hopefully there will be much more Mahjong to come in 2008.
I wasn't able to travel much in 2007, mostly because for the first half of the year I had no money, and for the summer I was still on probation at work and couldn't use any vacation days. 2008 looks to change all that, however, as I'm already planning a trip in February to visit C in St. Kitts, and over the summer to visit Chicago with J. 2009 = Japan, which is ridiculously exciting. We've been planning that since last year.
Didn't get to see too many concerts in 2007, but amongst the more memorable ones were Rock the Bells (f'ing Rage Against the Machine!), Pelican, and Clutch with Coheed & Cambria (I didn't like Coheed, but their 45-minute long encore jam sold me).
As far as movies go, 300, Knocked Up, No Country for Old Men, Ratatouille, and American Gangster are all up there on my list. I'm looking forward to seeing There Will Be Blood as soon as humanly possible.
Music? I seem to be so out of touch with new music now. I can't even tell you how many new albums I have from 2007, but I guarantee it's fewer than 20. Let's see, Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion, Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet and Nil Recurring, Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos and Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient were all quality albums, while Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold, Radiohead - In Rainbows, and Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero were all disappointing.
Finally, lest we forget the greatest thing to happen to the internet since the skateboarding dog... CHOCOLATE RAIN!!!
Anyway, on to the Resolutions:
1. Continue learning guitar. (Lessons start up again next Wednesday.)
2. Learn to play the drums.
3. Finish the recording studio/ media room in the basement.
4. Become an internet phenomenon. (I may have two different chances for that, but details on both will be forthcoming.)
5. Get a promotion.
6. Lose 45 pounds. (I don't think that's unreasonable over the course of a year.)
7. Edit at least 2 features. (I'm already working on 1, as stated above.)
8. Buy a DVX100. (Of all my resolutions this year, this one may actually be the loftiest goal.)
9. Finish writing at least 1 screenplay.
10. Record at least 1 album. (Hopefully in the finished basement recording studio!)
11. Brew at least 2 beers.
12. Something else.
Check back with me in a year to see how it went.