[crouton] Nathaniel Trost: Six Years After Y2K Killed Us All

[crouton at lists.powerblogs.com]

Posted by Nathaniel Trost:
Six Years After Y2K Killed Us All
http://crouton.powerblogs.com/archives/archive_2006_01_01-2006_01_07.shtml#=
1136251740


   Hello 2006.
   I was not sorry to see 2005 pass into history. Without too much
   reflection I think I can safely say that it was the most difficult
   year of my life. The good news is that I=E2m not carrying over any of
   the heaviest things to resolve into 2006. I may need to remind myself
   this at several junctures.
   A large percentage of the population of Southern California (and
   presumably elsewhere=E2s) goes to Disneyland on Christmas day. It was an
   experience. It was also not my idea, I hadn=E2t visited the Great Mouse
   once in the eight years I=E2ve lived in Southern California, but it was
   a successful trip. It had been a long time since I had been surrounded
   by a constant crush of seemingly countless people for hours upon hours
   at a time, however. The redesigned Space Mountain was a surprisingly
   fun ride, I just wish it hadn=E2t been a 60 minute wait!
   I think I can safely wear the fiscally prudent geek badge. This
   weekend I swung by Target for a reading lamp and noticed they had
   several Xbox 360s in stock (the good bundle, not the core system). I
   refrained from blowing $500 for the shiny sexy plastic box that would
   sit on the floor and collect dust. It was doing its darnedest to sing
   that siren song though.
   I shant be listing my professional goals for 2006 at this juncture.
   The first half of my year can be summed up by the involving task of
   shipping another iteration in a certain successful racing game
   franchise. I don=E2t yet know what opportunities I may have in the
   latter half of the year.
   In the personal sphere I shall stick up some goals. I=E2m not calling
   them resolutions. You can call them whatever the heck you want.
   1. Learn LISP. I feel guilty for not knowing LISP and I haven=E2t really
   stretched my programming noggin in a long long time.
   2. Get mathematically literate again. Everything has rotted out of my
   head and I feel like a total dunce.
   3. Start exercising regularly again. I=E2m increasingly coasting on
   genetics instead of youth and genetics.
   4. Finish one of my silly sci-fi paperback novels-in-progress. Even if
   they suck and nobody wants to publish them. I still owe Andrew the
   hardboiled sci-fi detective book.
   5. Learn to better [1]kick some ass while I still live in SoCal. This
   comes after number 3.
   I=E2m a bit jealous of a friend of mine that recently finished an
   intensive filmmaking school (geared for the digital era, death to film
   and linear editing systems). I did some video projects with friends in
   high school, which I think I can honestly say turned out surprisingly
   well for a bunch of kids with a VHS camcorder, a couple VCRs and
   custom written software (by me, on an Apple IIGS, in assembly
   language) for credits and titles; sans genlock, no Video Overlay Card
   for me. I=E2ve also tinkered with Premiere in years past creating silly
   snippets for friends. I=E2ve even managed to do some videogame voice
   work. But that has been the extent of my dabbling, even though I live
   in LA, casting everything aside to pursue acting, writing, production
   work in television or movies just isn=E2t going to happen. It isn=E2t wh=
at
   I=E2d want to do as a career either, it would just be..fun. And I=E2d be
   damn good at it. Shame the closest thing I have to a [2]demo reel is
   something I threw together in a couple hours using a USB gaming
   headset for an elaborate [3]in-joke related to a [4]free online web
   game.

References

   1. http://www.kravmaga.com/krav01.html
   2. file://localhost/var/www/powerblogs/crouton/posts/%E2
   3. file://localhost/var/www/powerblogs/crouton/posts/%E2
   4. file://localhost/var/www/powerblogs/crouton/posts/%E2