The tape is labeled 'Museum - December 27, 1992' and I find no reason to doubt that date. It can't be much earlier as it's clearly winter and I'm wearing the Ramones concert T-shirt I got October 30, 1992. It would make sense that I'd wear it later that year in an effort to show it off to my friends, some of which I wasn't seeing regularly anymore after I'd graduated from high school in June 1992.
I watched the tape a few years ago in order to pull off some interesting moments for a 'home video' type collection DVD. In doing so, I cut the 40-50 minutes down to about 7. The camcorder gets passed around a lot so there's a great deal of really shaky cam and messing around. The messing around was good for the other project but last night I watched it/skimmed it in an effort to see if there were any images I could pull from it in order to compare and contrast the Museum as it appeared then to how it looks now. The messing around is less good for this project.
The good news is that there's some areas captured that have changed drastically from then to now. I don't know if there are any decent stills I can pull from the tape to show this, but I'm interested in trying. Two areas in particular would be good for this: the main area on the first floor and the Temples, Tells and Tombs exhibit on the second floor.
The main area on the first floor held the entrance to the building at that time, along with two gift shops and a coat check area. It was a very open area at that time. Now, the entrances are on the ground floor. The area that used to be the entrance on One holds a butterfly exhibit. The once open area is very crowded with new exhibits. Big change.
Temples, Tells, and Tombs was new (to me anyway) in 1992 and was removed in 2007 to make way for the enlarged traveling exhibit space where the Titanic relics are currently. The bulk of the items from that exhibit still on display are currently on the third floor and the wikipedia article for the Museum says they will be there permanently come next year. There are some signs that this is starting to occur now but, if the plan is to accomplish this in the area those items are currently located in, it will be a greatly cut down version of the exhibit. Still better than nothing.
I also have proof that the humpback whale skeleton was on the ground floor at the time. I'm not misremembering.
Some of my entertainment in watching it last night came from listening to myself. In a number of ways, I have not changed. Upon seeing the mummy in Temples, Tells, and Tombs, I immediately start telling my friends where he used to reside in the Museum, down on the first floor, in the Rise to Civilization exhibit. Some of my jokes are even the same from then to now. Some of my jokes were created by my friends that day and are stuck in my head. We must have had fun.
Good deal.
21 February 2009
20 February 2009
I gots nuthin
Since I have spun a plate, Now I must sit and wait.
Yeah, I got nothing. I blogged twice yesterday so I figure that makes up for this.
Yeah, I got nothing. I blogged twice yesterday so I figure that makes up for this.
19 February 2009
A Few Thoughts on Comics from This Week
Light week this week.
My favorite this week is Amazing Spider-Man Family #4. Don't like Brand New Day and its effects? Spidey Family features mostly fun stories and has very little bearing on mainstream 'continuity'. This issue has a short story based in the mainstream, reprints Spidey issues 97 and 98, a story set in the Spider-Girl continuity, an Aunt May story that's cute... and the return of Spider-Ham! Yes! One of the first comics I got when I started intentionally getting comics. It's a fun story, nothing earth shattering but fun.
Simpsons Comics #151 introduces Moe's family. He has family?
Dark Avengers #2. I have to believe this is a storyline type book, the sort of thing designed to run for a year or two before ending. It's too much like Thunderbolts to continue much longer than that. More of an interesting idea than anything else.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #60 is the last issue of the book. Does it wrap anything up? Nope. There's a miniseries to do that. Not a bad issue but the lack of closure annoyed me.
Marvel Adventures - The Avengers #33 made me laugh out loud at one point. If you don't like how 'dark' the mainstream books are right now, then get some of the Marvel Adventures books. They're designed for a slightly younger audience and can be a hoot. Generally good art and good writing that doesn't take itself too seriously, in a way that works more often than not.
As normal, I got more books that just this but this is what I felt like talking about.
My favorite this week is Amazing Spider-Man Family #4. Don't like Brand New Day and its effects? Spidey Family features mostly fun stories and has very little bearing on mainstream 'continuity'. This issue has a short story based in the mainstream, reprints Spidey issues 97 and 98, a story set in the Spider-Girl continuity, an Aunt May story that's cute... and the return of Spider-Ham! Yes! One of the first comics I got when I started intentionally getting comics. It's a fun story, nothing earth shattering but fun.
Simpsons Comics #151 introduces Moe's family. He has family?
Dark Avengers #2. I have to believe this is a storyline type book, the sort of thing designed to run for a year or two before ending. It's too much like Thunderbolts to continue much longer than that. More of an interesting idea than anything else.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #60 is the last issue of the book. Does it wrap anything up? Nope. There's a miniseries to do that. Not a bad issue but the lack of closure annoyed me.
Marvel Adventures - The Avengers #33 made me laugh out loud at one point. If you don't like how 'dark' the mainstream books are right now, then get some of the Marvel Adventures books. They're designed for a slightly younger audience and can be a hoot. Generally good art and good writing that doesn't take itself too seriously, in a way that works more often than not.
As normal, I got more books that just this but this is what I felt like talking about.
A little detail regarding yesterday's post
Yesterday's story segment originates from the incomplete Season 32 Doctor Who story 'Psychotic Reaction'. Some looking into the notebook it was being written in displays the problems that lead to the end of the Season 32 project.
The second story of the 'Season', another rewrite of a 'Teen Doctor' story, 'Relative Power' was completed. It was started after the Reaction, which was meant to launch the Season. A note inside the cover of the notebook states 'Season 32 must begin!' and dates the beginning of the writing process as December 14, 1995.
During this time, I tended to date the beginning and ending dates of episodes. This was a way to track the timing of my writing process. Considering I wrote sequentially at this time (I hadn't learned how to write in fragments and piece a story together yet), this worked.
Episode One was completed on May 12th, 1998. Ages later. Generally an episode, about 30 written pages, should have taken me a couple months at worst. This was forever. A little note next to the completion date states 'This took too damn long!'
Episode Two was started immediately after, finishing the cliffhanger. It wouldn't be completed until June 6, 1999. 'Too slow still!' the accompanying note states.
Episode Three started on June 17, 1999. It would never be completed. 9 written pages exist for it, as well as a couple pages from Episode Four written after I started figuring out how to write out of order.
I started typing the story up this week, what exists of it anyway. It's weird editing words I originally wrote over a decade ago but I am.
I don't expect to finish the story, just preserve what exists, kind of like the incomplete Tom Baker story 'Shada'. It does explain why I had to officially 'cancel' the Season. When it takes three and a half years to write half the story, well, that's not a good pace with which to go forward.
It's okay; I've other things to focus on now.
The second story of the 'Season', another rewrite of a 'Teen Doctor' story, 'Relative Power' was completed. It was started after the Reaction, which was meant to launch the Season. A note inside the cover of the notebook states 'Season 32 must begin!' and dates the beginning of the writing process as December 14, 1995.
During this time, I tended to date the beginning and ending dates of episodes. This was a way to track the timing of my writing process. Considering I wrote sequentially at this time (I hadn't learned how to write in fragments and piece a story together yet), this worked.
Episode One was completed on May 12th, 1998. Ages later. Generally an episode, about 30 written pages, should have taken me a couple months at worst. This was forever. A little note next to the completion date states 'This took too damn long!'
Episode Two was started immediately after, finishing the cliffhanger. It wouldn't be completed until June 6, 1999. 'Too slow still!' the accompanying note states.
Episode Three started on June 17, 1999. It would never be completed. 9 written pages exist for it, as well as a couple pages from Episode Four written after I started figuring out how to write out of order.
I started typing the story up this week, what exists of it anyway. It's weird editing words I originally wrote over a decade ago but I am.
I don't expect to finish the story, just preserve what exists, kind of like the incomplete Tom Baker story 'Shada'. It does explain why I had to officially 'cancel' the Season. When it takes three and a half years to write half the story, well, that's not a good pace with which to go forward.
It's okay; I've other things to focus on now.
18 February 2009
A scene from a never completed story
“What's a kipper?” Julie asked as she searched the menu containing her breakfast choices.
“It's a fish,” answered the Doctor, currently engaged in scanning a similar document.
Julie made a face. “I don't think the idea of fish for breakfast would sit very well.”
“It doesn't with me either. This incarnation doesn't seem to tolerate seafood very well. Not that I'm all that hungry in general.”
“You rarely are.”
“True, true,” he murmured.
The owner of the small hotel they were staying in approached their table. He was a tall man with an expressive face, long legs, dark thinning hair, and a tidy mustache. “Ah, Doctor.” That title, 'Doctor', was savoured by the gentleman speaking it, carefully forming it in his mouth before daring to utter it. When they had checked in, he'd been clearly impressed by the title. The Doctor's youthful appearance did not appear to hinder the owner's enthusiasm in any way given the amount of fawning over them he'd done. “I trust you slept well last night.”
“Actually I did, thank you for asking.” At an hour and a half, he felt that he'd overslept a bit, but they were on holiday, so that was acceptable. “How comfortably were you wrapped in the arms of Morpheus this past eve?”
A grin played about the mouth of the owner, evidently pleased by the intellectual reference. “Comfortably enough, when I wasn't being roused by my wife's nocturnal rumblings and roarings.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.”
“As I am when it wakes me.”
The Doctor laughed politely. Seeing that the Doctor had been amused by his minor jest, the hotel owner laughed as well, with considerable more energy than the Doctor had shown. The Doctor patiently waited for the jester to complete his boisterous laughing. This event was not soon in arriving but arrive it did. Once the owner noticed the patiently quiet look on the Doctor's face, he recovered quickly. “Ah, yes, well, nevermind all that. Are you prepared to order your meal?”
“I am, Julie?” She nodded. “I'm not all that hungry this morning. Perhaps a bowl of porridge, some toast, and a glass of milk.”
“Very healthy no doubt,” he gushed as he jotted this information down. “And you miss?”
“I'll try the house omelet, with a side of bacon and toast, and a glass of orange juice.”
“Very good. I'll go and tell the chef.”
As he left to do so, Julie smiled. “What an odd man.”
“Indeed. Fancy a walk after breakfast?”
“Sounds nice, especially since we won't be hunting evil robots or evading energy blasts to do so.”
“It'll be different, that's for sure.”
“It's a fish,” answered the Doctor, currently engaged in scanning a similar document.
Julie made a face. “I don't think the idea of fish for breakfast would sit very well.”
“It doesn't with me either. This incarnation doesn't seem to tolerate seafood very well. Not that I'm all that hungry in general.”
“You rarely are.”
“True, true,” he murmured.
The owner of the small hotel they were staying in approached their table. He was a tall man with an expressive face, long legs, dark thinning hair, and a tidy mustache. “Ah, Doctor.” That title, 'Doctor', was savoured by the gentleman speaking it, carefully forming it in his mouth before daring to utter it. When they had checked in, he'd been clearly impressed by the title. The Doctor's youthful appearance did not appear to hinder the owner's enthusiasm in any way given the amount of fawning over them he'd done. “I trust you slept well last night.”
“Actually I did, thank you for asking.” At an hour and a half, he felt that he'd overslept a bit, but they were on holiday, so that was acceptable. “How comfortably were you wrapped in the arms of Morpheus this past eve?”
A grin played about the mouth of the owner, evidently pleased by the intellectual reference. “Comfortably enough, when I wasn't being roused by my wife's nocturnal rumblings and roarings.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.”
“As I am when it wakes me.”
The Doctor laughed politely. Seeing that the Doctor had been amused by his minor jest, the hotel owner laughed as well, with considerable more energy than the Doctor had shown. The Doctor patiently waited for the jester to complete his boisterous laughing. This event was not soon in arriving but arrive it did. Once the owner noticed the patiently quiet look on the Doctor's face, he recovered quickly. “Ah, yes, well, nevermind all that. Are you prepared to order your meal?”
“I am, Julie?” She nodded. “I'm not all that hungry this morning. Perhaps a bowl of porridge, some toast, and a glass of milk.”
“Very healthy no doubt,” he gushed as he jotted this information down. “And you miss?”
“I'll try the house omelet, with a side of bacon and toast, and a glass of orange juice.”
“Very good. I'll go and tell the chef.”
As he left to do so, Julie smiled. “What an odd man.”
“Indeed. Fancy a walk after breakfast?”
“Sounds nice, especially since we won't be hunting evil robots or evading energy blasts to do so.”
“It'll be different, that's for sure.”
17 February 2009
I See Weird Things
I've been dubbing footage from old tapes to DVD again. I see Weird Things.
- Hulk Hogan with Mean Gene Okerland cutting a promo in front for a Wrestlemania VI sign about how he won't fight Bugs Bunny (as part of a 50th Anniversary to Bugs show).
- Honey Nut Cheerios commercial with Godzilla in it.
- Levis commercial directed by Spike Lee featuring writer/artist Rob Leifield.
- Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue - a half-hour anti drug cartoon featuring Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, ALF, Michaelangelo from the TMNT, Garfield, Muppet Babies, Winnie the Pooh, and others. Bugs Bunny talking frankly about marijuana is mind-altering in itself.
- Hulk Hogan with Mean Gene Okerland cutting a promo in front for a Wrestlemania VI sign about how he won't fight Bugs Bunny (as part of a 50th Anniversary to Bugs show).
- Honey Nut Cheerios commercial with Godzilla in it.
- Levis commercial directed by Spike Lee featuring writer/artist Rob Leifield.
- Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue - a half-hour anti drug cartoon featuring Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, ALF, Michaelangelo from the TMNT, Garfield, Muppet Babies, Winnie the Pooh, and others. Bugs Bunny talking frankly about marijuana is mind-altering in itself.
16 February 2009
The True Terror of Friday the 13th
Friday night was full of fun as well as terror. There was also some rage and that's mostly what I'm planning to talk about today.
I don't really get angry very often. I get annoyed, I get upset, I get frustrated, but not really angry. Angry is special and impressive. All the other emotions tend to fade away as soon as the cause for that emotion is gone, and then I fade back slowly to relaxed. Angry leaves me too short tempered to relax so immediately and tends to get compounded too easily. I have to concentrate a bit to start the process back to relaxed. Angry has led to violence in the past; not much mind you, I can count on one hand the times that's occurred, but there's been some punches and scuffles from being pushed a step too far.
Friday night we were heading for the movies. We had pre-bought our tickets, so there were no concerns about being able to get into the movie or finding seats. We did start to worry about getting into the theatre though. You see, Friday night it started snowing. It was a bit on the slippery side and caution was called for but there's caution and then there's fear and then there's stupidity. Add the snow and the listed reactions to it with a busy Friday night at the theatre with the fact that the theatre in question has only one access point to the parking lot and you get traffic that doesn't move for five minutes because people are clogging the interchanges in the lot and can't get free because the traffic light didn't change and no one thought to just make a right turn instead and break the jam. This annoyed and frustrated me. I was not driving but my friend that was driving was also annoyed and frustrated so we didn't help each other relax very well. We fed each others anger.
Finally we got into the lot and parked, fussing and fuming as we walked. One of our party was meeting us there and was stuck in the traffic. His normal five minute trip took him a half-hour. As part of our tickets, we had a five dollar vouchure for the snack bar and I was encouraged to go instead and make use of it. As I entered, I bumped into a different friend of mine and chit-chatted with him for a minute. This chance meeting relaxed me a little and then I headed to the snack bar.
Mistake!
I picked what felt like the shortest line and decided what I wanted. The line didn't move for ages and my annoyance started to build back to anger. When the people in front of me didn't step up to the front when the opportunity presented (I'm not saying that they didn't rush the counter as soon as the gap presented itself, I'm saying that they were having too much fun for a moment to step forward and I wasn't in the mood to see that) and then didn't have an order ready to place, I got more mad. I had no way to take it out without being the bad guy so I just stood there and fumed. Once they finally got their stuff and moved on, I got to the front, made my simple request, and it was quickly granted. Thank you! A step in the right direction.
A few things then went right. I bumped into my buddy again, which wasn't that much of a shock as we were going to the same movie, and then I saw that my other friend had made it through the traffic so that was settled. We got in the theatre, got in our seats, and I tried to relax a bit as I starting eating my candy and watching trailers for films that didn't make me want to see the films in question very much.
Then the film started. The lights were still on in the theatre. This caused a couple comments from the audience but nothing changed. I was not relaxed enough to take another bump in the road and quickly grew irritated again. The desire to throw my Junior Mints at the screen was strong but I resisted. As the credits continued and nothing changed, my buddy got up to talk to someone about this. When he returned he noted that the individual he spoke with was 'going to talk to someone about it'. What? It's the lights in the theatre! It's probably just a dimmer switch. Does the manager have to make a decision about who's responsible enough to touch the dimmer switch? I got a little explosive but tried to settle down for the benefit of the rest of the audience. It's not like they were happy about this either. Let's just try to ignore it and watch the movie. About five minutes later, as my buddy rose to complain again, the lights finally came down.
Okay. Deep breaths. Just get into the movie and relax a little. Everything will be fine by the end of the film. Just relax.
Then a couple rows behind me, someone's phone goes off. Seriously? And they pick up and start talking without leaving the theatre. Seriously?!?
At that point, I was done. The theatre going experience was well and truly dead to me. Almost everything I'd ever predicted about the death of theatres was happening to me. All I needed was damage to the print of a new film or a problem with the sound system and my night would be complete.
Thankfully no. That was it. I could finally relax and get into the movie. I laughed a little, reacted to the scary scenes, and, despite my distaste for doing so, applauded from amused joy at one point. I know, it's not a play and they can't hear me, but it wasn't at the end of the film as if to say 'that was a good movie', it was a spontaeous 'oh wow!' sort of thing that others joined in on.
By the end I was okay again. I'm still not keen to go back to the theatre though. It may cause me to skip a film or two that I'm not sure on. Or maybe that's just fall-out from one of the trailers I saw. It just didn't feel right. We'll see.
I don't really get angry very often. I get annoyed, I get upset, I get frustrated, but not really angry. Angry is special and impressive. All the other emotions tend to fade away as soon as the cause for that emotion is gone, and then I fade back slowly to relaxed. Angry leaves me too short tempered to relax so immediately and tends to get compounded too easily. I have to concentrate a bit to start the process back to relaxed. Angry has led to violence in the past; not much mind you, I can count on one hand the times that's occurred, but there's been some punches and scuffles from being pushed a step too far.
Friday night we were heading for the movies. We had pre-bought our tickets, so there were no concerns about being able to get into the movie or finding seats. We did start to worry about getting into the theatre though. You see, Friday night it started snowing. It was a bit on the slippery side and caution was called for but there's caution and then there's fear and then there's stupidity. Add the snow and the listed reactions to it with a busy Friday night at the theatre with the fact that the theatre in question has only one access point to the parking lot and you get traffic that doesn't move for five minutes because people are clogging the interchanges in the lot and can't get free because the traffic light didn't change and no one thought to just make a right turn instead and break the jam. This annoyed and frustrated me. I was not driving but my friend that was driving was also annoyed and frustrated so we didn't help each other relax very well. We fed each others anger.
Finally we got into the lot and parked, fussing and fuming as we walked. One of our party was meeting us there and was stuck in the traffic. His normal five minute trip took him a half-hour. As part of our tickets, we had a five dollar vouchure for the snack bar and I was encouraged to go instead and make use of it. As I entered, I bumped into a different friend of mine and chit-chatted with him for a minute. This chance meeting relaxed me a little and then I headed to the snack bar.
Mistake!
I picked what felt like the shortest line and decided what I wanted. The line didn't move for ages and my annoyance started to build back to anger. When the people in front of me didn't step up to the front when the opportunity presented (I'm not saying that they didn't rush the counter as soon as the gap presented itself, I'm saying that they were having too much fun for a moment to step forward and I wasn't in the mood to see that) and then didn't have an order ready to place, I got more mad. I had no way to take it out without being the bad guy so I just stood there and fumed. Once they finally got their stuff and moved on, I got to the front, made my simple request, and it was quickly granted. Thank you! A step in the right direction.
A few things then went right. I bumped into my buddy again, which wasn't that much of a shock as we were going to the same movie, and then I saw that my other friend had made it through the traffic so that was settled. We got in the theatre, got in our seats, and I tried to relax a bit as I starting eating my candy and watching trailers for films that didn't make me want to see the films in question very much.
Then the film started. The lights were still on in the theatre. This caused a couple comments from the audience but nothing changed. I was not relaxed enough to take another bump in the road and quickly grew irritated again. The desire to throw my Junior Mints at the screen was strong but I resisted. As the credits continued and nothing changed, my buddy got up to talk to someone about this. When he returned he noted that the individual he spoke with was 'going to talk to someone about it'. What? It's the lights in the theatre! It's probably just a dimmer switch. Does the manager have to make a decision about who's responsible enough to touch the dimmer switch? I got a little explosive but tried to settle down for the benefit of the rest of the audience. It's not like they were happy about this either. Let's just try to ignore it and watch the movie. About five minutes later, as my buddy rose to complain again, the lights finally came down.
Okay. Deep breaths. Just get into the movie and relax a little. Everything will be fine by the end of the film. Just relax.
Then a couple rows behind me, someone's phone goes off. Seriously? And they pick up and start talking without leaving the theatre. Seriously?!?
At that point, I was done. The theatre going experience was well and truly dead to me. Almost everything I'd ever predicted about the death of theatres was happening to me. All I needed was damage to the print of a new film or a problem with the sound system and my night would be complete.
Thankfully no. That was it. I could finally relax and get into the movie. I laughed a little, reacted to the scary scenes, and, despite my distaste for doing so, applauded from amused joy at one point. I know, it's not a play and they can't hear me, but it wasn't at the end of the film as if to say 'that was a good movie', it was a spontaeous 'oh wow!' sort of thing that others joined in on.
By the end I was okay again. I'm still not keen to go back to the theatre though. It may cause me to skip a film or two that I'm not sure on. Or maybe that's just fall-out from one of the trailers I saw. It just didn't feel right. We'll see.
15 February 2009
New Simpsons Titles
I liked them.
Today was the first appearance of the new title sequence for the Simpsons, mostly for HD. I was pleased that it was, by in large, the same basic sequence as the original, but updated with other characters and items. It made me laugh a bit out of joy.
Haven't watched the episode yet. After the title sequence I left for bowling.
Today was the first appearance of the new title sequence for the Simpsons, mostly for HD. I was pleased that it was, by in large, the same basic sequence as the original, but updated with other characters and items. It made me laugh a bit out of joy.
Haven't watched the episode yet. After the title sequence I left for bowling.
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