I'm about one-fourth done now with shooting my music video. I filmed six people today, which is my new record. If I could maintain that kind of efficiency everyday, I'd be done in less than 2 weeks. Too bad I'm not a very efficient person in general. The incredible thing is that I actually could have doubled my output today if people hadn't refused shooting on the premise that they "looked like crap." Not to raise controversy, but most of those comments came from girls. Girls always look good to me, so I guess I just don't understand. I mean, yeah, we had an exam today (which totally rocked me, btw) and everyone slept two hours each the night before. But then again, I'm sure everyone looks better than I do at this point, with my unkempt hair and beard, so I have pretty low standards these days. I think that "looking like crap," though, could give the video a little character. What's wrong with reflecting reality?
I'm really happy with the way the scenes are turning out. There are a lot of funny and creative ones, and it's been a lot of fun working with everyone on it so far. The reason that it's been so fun is due to a lot of spur-of-the-moment things, like grabbing random props and people expressing various body motions. So the video's kind of been evolving on its own and going beyond what I scripted originally. I'm glad that I left a lot of room for improvisation since my actors have contributed a lot to the creative process. I'm actually surprised at how receptive people have been and how much they've been getting into it. It helps that many med students are used to volunteering for random things and are comfortable enough to put themselves on display, so to speak. I imagine that for many people, there might be an internal struggle between looking goofy on camera and getting that five seconds of fame. I know I'm embarrassed as hell when I have to see myself on video, so I applaud all these brave souls, leaving their motion pictures in my hands. There's already a small blooper real in the works. My hope is that the final product does everyone justice.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Makin' Noise
Today marks the unofficial start of spring break. We have classes on Friday, but hey, it's Friday. We had a nice and easy quiz in physio today, which was a good change of pace from the ownage I've been receiving lately with tests and quizzes. I even stayed for a lecture today. I kind of forgot what sitting through a real lecture felt like, instead of just watching screencasts online. Actually, I'm really glad I sat through the lecture because our current physio professor is an effective lecturer in real life, but for some reason I just can't follow her when I watch online. It might have something to do with the fact that I set the play speed to 2x, but that's kind of what I've grown accustomed to. I get awful memory retention doing this, though. I'm still not sure if it's worth the few minutes I save per lecture doing it this way. It got me through most of first semester all right, so I'm guessing it couldn't be all bad.
Ted, Shrey, Zaf, Geoff, and I had a little jam session after school. The four of them comprise a pseudo-band called Stridor. That has to be one of the coolest band-sounding medical terms ever. I'm employing their services to record a full-band version of the song I played at Evening of the Arts in January. We stalled a few times during practice with our ADHD and forgetting chords and lyrics, but we made some good progress. Musically, I think our song sounds superior to the song we're parodying (Rockstar by Nickelback) since the original didn't have much flair and was carried entirely by the vocals and lyrics. I've learned that singing through amps takes some getting used to. It's a lot easier to sing out of tune for some reason. At least, for me it was. It's also harder to sing in tune when your vocal cords are strained, for reasons that escape me. We're going to record the song for real after spring break. I can't wait to hear/see how this all turns out. Getting the audio down will probably be the easiest part. I started putting together a schedule of sorts for the music video, and it looks like shooting all the pieces of the video is going to be one hellish job. Splicing them all together and syncing the video with audio is going to be another crazy feat. Slow and steady, though, right?
I thought it was cool how good my Stridor buddies sounded when they were simply jamming. It's like the music just flows out of them effortlessly. I need to learn how to improvise that easily. I think I'm too stuck on overused chord progressions, and I rely too much on the structures of existing songs. The plus side is that I've gotten much better this past year at quickly picking up "mainstream" songs and singing while playing. For example, I used not be able to get Petty's "Last Dance of Mary Jane" or Matchbox Twenty's "Push" for the life of me. There was just something in those songs that kept throwing me. So I didn't even attempt those songs for a while, but when I tried them again this year, something just clicked. That's always a good feeling. I really want to get an electric guitar now. There are so many things you can do with an electric that aren't quite so feasible with an acoustic, and I feel like I'm missing out on a whole new spectrum of exploration. Alas, I am a student, and I have bills up the wazoo and no income. If I do get an electric, it probably won't be until the summer since the last thing I need right now is more distractions. I almost wouldn't mind trading in my XBox for a guitar. I mean, a real guitar, not a plastic Guiter Hero guitar. That would totally rock. But what would be even better is an XBox AND an electric guitar. That would insanely rock. I figure if I don't eat for a few months, I can save up enough money for a nice guitar and amp. It probably won't be enough to pay for my subsequent hospitalization and feeding tubes, but as long as I've got music, and if I've got my friends, who could ask for anything more? Who could ask for anything m-o-o-o-rre?
Ted, Shrey, Zaf, Geoff, and I had a little jam session after school. The four of them comprise a pseudo-band called Stridor. That has to be one of the coolest band-sounding medical terms ever. I'm employing their services to record a full-band version of the song I played at Evening of the Arts in January. We stalled a few times during practice with our ADHD and forgetting chords and lyrics, but we made some good progress. Musically, I think our song sounds superior to the song we're parodying (Rockstar by Nickelback) since the original didn't have much flair and was carried entirely by the vocals and lyrics. I've learned that singing through amps takes some getting used to. It's a lot easier to sing out of tune for some reason. At least, for me it was. It's also harder to sing in tune when your vocal cords are strained, for reasons that escape me. We're going to record the song for real after spring break. I can't wait to hear/see how this all turns out. Getting the audio down will probably be the easiest part. I started putting together a schedule of sorts for the music video, and it looks like shooting all the pieces of the video is going to be one hellish job. Splicing them all together and syncing the video with audio is going to be another crazy feat. Slow and steady, though, right?
I thought it was cool how good my Stridor buddies sounded when they were simply jamming. It's like the music just flows out of them effortlessly. I need to learn how to improvise that easily. I think I'm too stuck on overused chord progressions, and I rely too much on the structures of existing songs. The plus side is that I've gotten much better this past year at quickly picking up "mainstream" songs and singing while playing. For example, I used not be able to get Petty's "Last Dance of Mary Jane" or Matchbox Twenty's "Push" for the life of me. There was just something in those songs that kept throwing me. So I didn't even attempt those songs for a while, but when I tried them again this year, something just clicked. That's always a good feeling. I really want to get an electric guitar now. There are so many things you can do with an electric that aren't quite so feasible with an acoustic, and I feel like I'm missing out on a whole new spectrum of exploration. Alas, I am a student, and I have bills up the wazoo and no income. If I do get an electric, it probably won't be until the summer since the last thing I need right now is more distractions. I almost wouldn't mind trading in my XBox for a guitar. I mean, a real guitar, not a plastic Guiter Hero guitar. That would totally rock. But what would be even better is an XBox AND an electric guitar. That would insanely rock. I figure if I don't eat for a few months, I can save up enough money for a nice guitar and amp. It probably won't be enough to pay for my subsequent hospitalization and feeding tubes, but as long as I've got music, and if I've got my friends, who could ask for anything more? Who could ask for anything m-o-o-o-rre?
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
'Stache Bash
A fellow med student has proposed that the guys in our class participate in 'Stache Bash to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. As he put it: "What is manlier than facial hair, 7 Tour de France titles in a row, and healthy testicles?? Answer: not much." So true.
Basically, what this entails is growing facial hair for a period of time without shaving (or, under extenuating circumstances, limited shaving). Sponsors donate a specific amount for each day you go without shaving, or they can just pledge a lump sum for the final result. I'm thinking of starting my quest tomorrow, and it'll last until the beginning of May, after our finals are over. I can't help but feel that this is a bad idea. I think the longest I've ever gone without shaving is 3 weeks, and that was already pretty hideous. This undertaking requires I grow facial hair for more than twice that long. I'm quite sure I'll lose a few friends in the process. In fact, the number of friends I lose will help me gauge how successful I am in this endeavor.
I've had many bouts of not shaving in the past, such as during Facial Hair February, No-Shave November, and just out of sheer laziness. But it's never been something I've committed fully to the point of going overboard on facial nastiness. I think if there's a time to do it, it'd be now, before I have to see patients consistently and before I have more standards of decorum to uphold. Come to think of it, this is quite possibly my last chance. Unfortunately, I do have one patient interview before the school year is over, so I might have to trim a little. I'll try to trim just enough to look presentable so I don't lose too much of my hard-earned fuzz.
I have to admit I've grown a little more vain recently with my new-found longer hair that I can almost whip around like in shampoo commercials, and since I've been working out and I now have a totally rock-hard bod and my shirts rip when I accidentally flex a little. Anyway, maybe growing some dirty patches on my face will cause me to stop wanting to look in the mirror, thus reversing my formative narcicism. Also, I plan to let my hair grow out more, so when my mop starts going rampant, it'll be somewhat balanced by the stuff growing on my chin. I think this is how people turn into hippies.
I plan to take pictures frequently, and maybe I'll even turn these pics into a stop motion capture film when this is all said and done. I can't wait for the final cut.
Basically, what this entails is growing facial hair for a period of time without shaving (or, under extenuating circumstances, limited shaving). Sponsors donate a specific amount for each day you go without shaving, or they can just pledge a lump sum for the final result. I'm thinking of starting my quest tomorrow, and it'll last until the beginning of May, after our finals are over. I can't help but feel that this is a bad idea. I think the longest I've ever gone without shaving is 3 weeks, and that was already pretty hideous. This undertaking requires I grow facial hair for more than twice that long. I'm quite sure I'll lose a few friends in the process. In fact, the number of friends I lose will help me gauge how successful I am in this endeavor.
I've had many bouts of not shaving in the past, such as during Facial Hair February, No-Shave November, and just out of sheer laziness. But it's never been something I've committed fully to the point of going overboard on facial nastiness. I think if there's a time to do it, it'd be now, before I have to see patients consistently and before I have more standards of decorum to uphold. Come to think of it, this is quite possibly my last chance. Unfortunately, I do have one patient interview before the school year is over, so I might have to trim a little. I'll try to trim just enough to look presentable so I don't lose too much of my hard-earned fuzz.
I have to admit I've grown a little more vain recently with my new-found longer hair that I can almost whip around like in shampoo commercials, and since I've been working out and I now have a totally rock-hard bod and my shirts rip when I accidentally flex a little. Anyway, maybe growing some dirty patches on my face will cause me to stop wanting to look in the mirror, thus reversing my formative narcicism. Also, I plan to let my hair grow out more, so when my mop starts going rampant, it'll be somewhat balanced by the stuff growing on my chin. I think this is how people turn into hippies.
I plan to take pictures frequently, and maybe I'll even turn these pics into a stop motion capture film when this is all said and done. I can't wait for the final cut.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Boilermaker Ballin'
Last night was the first annual Boilermaker Ball for Purdue alumni, held here in Indy at the Crowne Plaza Union Station. It just so happens that our med school dance in January was held there, too. You could tell the Purdue people had a much larger budget to work with, just from the decorations. It almost felt like we were in a different place. I went with Hayley, Stephanie, and her fiance, so it was a good break for the med students among us.
Purdue Pete wearing a tux! I feel short.
I read somewhere that tickets were $100 a piece or something. Yeah, I'm such a high roller. Actually, we were lucky to be guests of the College of Science, and we got to have dinner with Dean Vitter and other administrators I hadn't seen in a while. There was a silent auction beforehand with tons of amazing items that I couldn't afford, including vacation packages and assorted Purdue paraphernalia. Dinner was pretty awesome, since there were dishes presented in ways I had never seen before. When you have to ask yourself, "How do I eat this salad?" you know you're in the company of greatness. Oh, yeah, the food tasted amazing, too. There was a live auction after dinner, which included typical purchases like "Fighter Pilot for a Day Adventure" (where you fly in a real fighter jet with a real pilot), and a "driving experience" where you can go for a casual spin in such cars as a Murcielago, Maserati Gran Tourismo, and your choice of Ferraris. Each live auction item sold for over $3000. I love going to events where everyone else there is on average 1,000,000 times richer than me. I'm not ashamed to admit that my net worth is about $1, and that's counting the nickel I found last week. On second thought, is it possible to have a negative net worth? I just filed my taxes, and it turns out Uncle Sam wants more milk money or he'll give me a swirly.
I was impressed at how nice the event was for its first year. The irony is that I'm not one for extravagance at all. While I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, it was mostly because of the company and being able to see people I hadn't seen in some time. If I somehow manage to accidentally become wealthy down the line, I still wouldn't really see myself jumping at events like this. I mean, yeah, I will always support my alma mater, and I'm proud to call myself a Purdue alumnus, but I'm just more of a low-key type of person. I'd rather donate some cash and then sit at home with a good book, I suppose.
Purdue Pete wearing a tux! I feel short.
I read somewhere that tickets were $100 a piece or something. Yeah, I'm such a high roller. Actually, we were lucky to be guests of the College of Science, and we got to have dinner with Dean Vitter and other administrators I hadn't seen in a while. There was a silent auction beforehand with tons of amazing items that I couldn't afford, including vacation packages and assorted Purdue paraphernalia. Dinner was pretty awesome, since there were dishes presented in ways I had never seen before. When you have to ask yourself, "How do I eat this salad?" you know you're in the company of greatness. Oh, yeah, the food tasted amazing, too. There was a live auction after dinner, which included typical purchases like "Fighter Pilot for a Day Adventure" (where you fly in a real fighter jet with a real pilot), and a "driving experience" where you can go for a casual spin in such cars as a Murcielago, Maserati Gran Tourismo, and your choice of Ferraris. Each live auction item sold for over $3000. I love going to events where everyone else there is on average 1,000,000 times richer than me. I'm not ashamed to admit that my net worth is about $1, and that's counting the nickel I found last week. On second thought, is it possible to have a negative net worth? I just filed my taxes, and it turns out Uncle Sam wants more milk money or he'll give me a swirly.
I was impressed at how nice the event was for its first year. The irony is that I'm not one for extravagance at all. While I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, it was mostly because of the company and being able to see people I hadn't seen in some time. If I somehow manage to accidentally become wealthy down the line, I still wouldn't really see myself jumping at events like this. I mean, yeah, I will always support my alma mater, and I'm proud to call myself a Purdue alumnus, but I'm just more of a low-key type of person. I'd rather donate some cash and then sit at home with a good book, I suppose.
When I Was Your Age
Today was the last of four OASIS Vital Visionaries sessions. V.V. is a volunteer program that is designed to facilitate interactions between medical students and the older adults. There is a growing concern that apathy among young doctors towards the elderly will not bode well for an aging population in need of health care. Each session was held in the Eiteljorg Museum in Indy, where we analyzed art and had a rollicking good time bridging the generational divide. Since starting this program, I've realized I have more interactions with older adults than I once considered. For instance, when I visited Purdue last weekend for the Timmy banquet, I went up a few hours early to see a retired professor and a former administrator/advisor near retirement. No, I'm not afraid to admit I have "old people" as friends. In fact, did you know being surrounded by lots of old people in your country increases your average life expectancy? I even worked out the math, which is too complicated to show here. If you still don't believe how wonderful old poeple are, here's a short list of their contributions to society (unverified):
Wheelchairs
Apple Pie
Dentures
Viagra
The Wheel
Unfortunately, I missed the first and third V.V. sessions due to legitimate conflicts, which put my attendance at a miserable 50%. I quite enjoyed the first session I attended, and all of the older participants were pretty fun and lively. We attempted to build clay pots at the end of that session, but I guess the facilitators couldn't figure out a way to get those fired for us. However, I wasn't able to finish mine, anyway. Also, what I made looked somewhat disfigured, so maybe it's better that I not have a permanent memento of my failure as a ceramicist.
Today's session was quite different since we doubled as volunteers for some event involving hordes of little girls. The Eiteljorg is a Native American museum, and today they hosted an educational adventure into the presumed life of Kaya, one of the "American Girl" dolls. I was in charge of teaching kids how to use a hand-powered drill to drive holes into pieces of wood to be used in necklaces. It's actually quite ingenious how the drill works, as it translates vertical motion into rotational motion. I couldn't find a picture of one online, but I'll post a pic from the event if I can get one from a friend. Part of my job was also to talk about the drill and to pique the kids' interests in using it. At first I found it hard not to use words like "inertia," "friction," and "displacement," and I don't think any of the kids understood my lame jokes about how I love modern electric drills. Kids these days... no sense of humor. I guess they'll never understand old people like me.
Have you seen the remake of "My Generation" by the Zimmers? They're a British band created in response to the isolation of Britain's elderly population, and they purportedly have the oldest band members in the world, like 4 to 5 times my age.
Wheelchairs
Apple Pie
Dentures
Viagra
The Wheel
Unfortunately, I missed the first and third V.V. sessions due to legitimate conflicts, which put my attendance at a miserable 50%. I quite enjoyed the first session I attended, and all of the older participants were pretty fun and lively. We attempted to build clay pots at the end of that session, but I guess the facilitators couldn't figure out a way to get those fired for us. However, I wasn't able to finish mine, anyway. Also, what I made looked somewhat disfigured, so maybe it's better that I not have a permanent memento of my failure as a ceramicist.
Today's session was quite different since we doubled as volunteers for some event involving hordes of little girls. The Eiteljorg is a Native American museum, and today they hosted an educational adventure into the presumed life of Kaya, one of the "American Girl" dolls. I was in charge of teaching kids how to use a hand-powered drill to drive holes into pieces of wood to be used in necklaces. It's actually quite ingenious how the drill works, as it translates vertical motion into rotational motion. I couldn't find a picture of one online, but I'll post a pic from the event if I can get one from a friend. Part of my job was also to talk about the drill and to pique the kids' interests in using it. At first I found it hard not to use words like "inertia," "friction," and "displacement," and I don't think any of the kids understood my lame jokes about how I love modern electric drills. Kids these days... no sense of humor. I guess they'll never understand old people like me.
Have you seen the remake of "My Generation" by the Zimmers? They're a British band created in response to the isolation of Britain's elderly population, and they purportedly have the oldest band members in the world, like 4 to 5 times my age.
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