Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 12
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 21
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 23
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 25
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 26
March 16th, 2008
This week, I’ll be summarizing my experiences with a few sites I signed up for in my pursuit for the unexpected. I encountered most of these during my first few months in Dallas, when I knew few people and my options for leisure were very limited. Let’s just say I spent a lot of time at local coffee houses.
I believe the first time I heard about Couchsurfing.com was from a news report that mentioned it in as an example of the proliferation of social networking sites. Though I could only vaguely recall it’s name, it resurfaced in my memory during a boring moment at a café. So, I went in for a look.
The basic premise of Couchsurfing.com instantly appealed to me. It’s a social network of people who offer up their place as a free spot for travelers to stay at, and in return they get access to a network of fellow “Couchsurfers” to use as free lodging during their own travels. I’m an avid fan of traveling as much as possible while making it as cheap as possible, so it didn’t take much encouragement for me to sign up for the service.
Naturally, the first reaction I get when describing Courchsurfing is “you’re nuts”. Hearing the concept for the first time does sound pretty shady: you’re basically letting strangers come stay at your home for a few days, during which time they have complete, uninhibited access to your valuables and bodily orifices.
After describing the site to a female friend of mine she replied, “They might as well call it RapeMe.com”.
Once you take a close look at how the system works however, you come to realize that it’s a pretty well-thought out and safe concept, since you have complete control over who comes to crash at your crib. First, you receive a message from a fellow Couchsurfer requesting to stay at your place sometime in the future. If your thinking of letting them crash, you can review their profile to get a sense of how trustworthy they are. This “trustworthiness” can be based on a number of things, (like how thoroughly the person filled out their profile) but the number one indicator of how legit a person is comes from the endorsements that other Couchsurfers provide. Whether you host a traveler or go stay at someone’s place, people will afterwards give you ratings and referrals based on their experiences with you. Over time, you begin to attain different levels in the system that display how reliable (and safe) a Couchsurfer and host you are.
So, it comes back to square one. If someone requests to stay at your place but they have little or no referrals for their profile, then you can always deny them flat-out. In turn, if you’re new to the system and request to stay somewhere else, you’ll probably find it difficult to get people to accept you since you rate high on the ole’ “rape-o-meter”. But I think this give-and-take concept really suits the overall goal here: ultimately, the people who have lesser motives will fail to get people to let them crash, while those who really want to genuinely take advantage of the system will need to show some initiative to gain the trust of others.
A good start when you have little experience in the network is to let people come to crash at your place, since it means you have all the control over the terms of their stay. For example, I require anyone who is looking to stay at my place to call and speak with me over the phone, because it gives me a better idea of their character, and I take down their license information once they arrive as an additional safeguard. The great thing is that it’s completely up to you – most legitimate Couchsurfers will have no problem acquiescing to any requests you make that would help insure your safety.
Once you get passed any initial fears you may have, you stand to reap huge rewards.
First, you can go almost anywhere (it’s a global service with millions of members) and spend nothing on housing. Besides the cost benefit, you get instantly connected with a local who can show you the right spots to eat, visit, and enjoy during your travels while skipping the traditional “touristy” avenues. For me, that’s a priceless resource.
Next, you get interesting people coming by to crash with you. I thoroughly enjoy sharing my local knowledge with someone who has never been to Texas before, while learning all about the different customs, habits, and stories from where they are from. So far, I have only hosted three people from different parts of the United States, but each one of these visits was a terrific break from the traditional monotony of Dallas. I still keep regular contact with two of these visitors, and I now have invitations to come and visit their hometowns too.
Finally, there is the overall, somewhat idealist goal of the website: to facilitate the interaction of different cultures by means of Couchsurfing and, as a result, foster greater understanding of people and cultures worldwide. Sure, it’s sounds pretty hippy-ish, but I confess to feeling a sense of that happening in my experiences already, and that is just from hosting people from different parts of the US. Once I get enough positive referrals in the system to get the title of “CouchSurfing Ambassador”, I intend to use my credentials to go Euro-tripping or on some other international trip and gain a greater appreciation for people and places I might otherwise never experience.
I suggest a look. I could always use another place to crash.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 12
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 21
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 23
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 25
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 26
February 29th, 2008
Since I wrote about some Craigslist fun in my last posting, I absolutely had to link the Best Of Craigslist, which may be the funniest single website I have ever read. No explanation neccessary -
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 12
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 21
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 23
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 25
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 26
February 26th, 2008
Sitting bored at work last week, I decided to scour Craigslist in hopes of finding something interesting. As a general tool of distraction and intrigue, I highly recommend Craigslist, in particularly the “free stuff” section, the “gigs” section, and the “rant and raves” section. You are bound to find a nice collection of interesting offers, out-of-the-ordinary requests for labor, and wonderful sermons from freaks. Ah, the freaks.
I actually have considered spending a full Saturday driving around with a borrowed pick-up truck and seeing how much of the “free” stuff I could scoop up. There’s some pretty sweet stuff there occasionally, including some free boats that caught my eye – mind you, these aren’t yachts, but they’ll let you drink a beer while on a lake.
In fact, in speaking with a friend of mine who lives in San Francisco, I discovered that someone has already carried out this idea in a movie called “24 Hours On Craigslist”. A film crew apparently spends a day answering a bunch of Craigslist postings and seeking out their authors; the result is a fine mix of oddities and yes, freaks. And since this was filmed in San Francisco, you apparently get to view some of the best that freakdom has to offer. I’m hoping to check out the movie soon.
Anyways, back to that slow day at the office. I wandered into the “gigs” section and into the subcategory of “crew”, and this posting caught my eye:
@Extras needed for Feature Film
Need Extras for a Feature Film in Waxahachie. We have many positions available.
College age: 20 to 35 yrs of age, male and female
Adults: 45 to 65 yrs of age,A great crew and production company to work with. We have a great time.
If interested please reply by email and use the word EXTRAS in the subject line.
Having never been on anything like an actual movie set and being a college age male, I was sold. Sure, driving out to Waxahachie for a possibly lame movie could be a bust, but I was up for the risk - I’m a firm proponent of taking chances in the pursuit of novel entertainment.
My e-mail got a reply and I was set for filming on Sunday, with the following directions: bring three complete outfits someone in college would wear that have no logos, and that are not predominantly black, white, or red, because those colors tend to draw the eye of the viewer (interesting, keep an eye out for that next time you see a movie).
Sunday came and I headed South to the quaint city of Waxahachie, easily finding my way to City Hall where shooting was to take place. In the city council chamber, we got briefed on the rules extras must adhere to: no talking on set, mimic talking while actually shooting, follow this cue, don’t try to avoid the actors but walk around them as you would normally, etc. A wardrobe person then came around to review the clothes we had brought to make they sure they were “college-y” enough, as well as to assign different combination we would change into to represent different days in the plot.
We started shooting surprisingly quickly, with the goal of making City Hall like a full fledged college campus. A brief description of my dynamic, challenging roles:
1. Guy running up stairs in a hurry, as if late to class.
2. Guy walking down hall, passing two main characters on the way.
3. Reflection in door window of guy walking buy. (seriously weak)
4. Guy coming up and chatting briefly to two ladies outside, way in the background.
And that was it. No dialogue and a whole lot of the back of my head. My dreams of being a surprise ass-double vanished.
By far, role number 2 was the closest I got to stardom. The moment I passed the two main characters, one of them dropped a book - on one take, I had to cut through the two actors in order to make it look like I was naturally avoiding them. For a brief moment, I feared I had just cost someone thousands of dollars, but the director thought it looked very genuine. So, I’m crossing my fingers it makes it to the final print. That and that alone, could be my one distinguishable part in the whole deal.
It was very intriguing to see the intricacies of filming, and the thousands of things that are fretted over before filming a scene: lighting conditions, sound quality, makeup, wardrobe, choreography of the extras, camera angles, and more. The crew was a lively group too, and I learned several interesting aspects of making a living in the movie producing business. For example, one crew member joked that wearing an earpiece all day made him hear voices even when he was off set, and that he would sometimes be jolted awake during sleep because he thought he heard set commands in his head.
Overall it was an enjoyable experience, but nothing extraordinary. Still, it was intriguing enough to make me continue searching the Craigslist “gig” boards for other filming jobs, and I would certainly recommend it as an option for “off the beaten path” weekends.
On a final note, the movie is called “The Beacon”, and apparently has to do with ghosts and such. No huge name actors, but there is a chick who I believe was a main role in Meet The Parents. Not bad. Check it out, though I recommend no one who reads this blog nor any of my friends come with me to see this movie if indeed it makes it to theatres. I imagine I’ll be a huge asshole, making well-timed whoops anytime I think I see the back of my head. Plus, I’ll probably go drunk. You’ve been warned.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 12
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 21
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 23
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 25
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 26
February 19th, 2008
I found out recently that a friend of mine really liked guns. We hadn’t talked about it before, but he suddenly mentioned he had gotten a new “Baby Eagle”. It seemed like something he was very proud of, so naturally I wanted to take a look; he obliged and I was soon cradling a vicious looking lump of steel.
Interesting”, I muttered, “I didn’t know you had a gun”.
Oh, I’ve got more”, he corrected.
Minutes later, three rifles and another handgun were on the floor as well, and I was startled to know my friend could be starting another Branch Davidian complex. Startled, but intrigued.
Though I have lived in Texas for most of my life, I have yet to even fire a gun. It was not something that ever seemed particularly important. But now that my friend had produced this small armory, I wanted to learn more about what it takes to get a gun. And not just any pea shooter – I mean, something that would really raise some pulses.
I began to talk at length with my friend, named Jon, about how you actually get guns apart from the obvious spots like Academy or other sports stores. The more I talked on the subject, the more I was fascinated by the ideas of gun shows and people being able to auction and trade guns through the mail. Mailing a gun? What a concept.
And so, I found a nice little Dallas adventure: my first gun show.
I set out with Jon acting as a guide to this new land with the inkling that I just might buy something if it caught my eye. In particular, the notion of holding an AK-47 while eating a bowl of breakfast cereal was a mental image I really relished fulfilling.
My first impression upon entering the exposition hall was the uncanny feeling of utter nakedness. It felt like I should be wearing something deadly, like a knife or something, or at least something more intimidating than my cell phone. I suddenly felt inadequate at not being able to instantly punch quarter size holes in other things.This feeling was soon replaced by a “kid in a candy store” syndrome. If guns were people, than I surely whored my hand out at that show. Handguns, shotguns, sniper rifles, guns from World War 2, tiny one shooter guns that poker players in old Western movies hide under their hats – you name it, I held it.
After several hours though, the law of diminishing returns kicked in and I found myself shrugging at guns that hours before had looked much cooler. My killing standards were raised to new, more sophisticated heights. “Meh”, I would ask, “sure it looks good, but could it stop a cheetah?”
I decided to direct my energies toward the AK-47 of my dreams. But the selection was lacking, and from the choices I had the prices were too high. I wasn’t going to shell out more than $300 bucks, despite the fact that “I shoot cheap” isn’t really a badass catchphrase to ascribe to.
However, I found the beauty of the gun show is that it’s not just about guns. Nay, all instruments of peril are equally invited, and my dejection at not finding gun that really reflected my personality led me to search out other alternatives. Jon suggested that I needed a respectable knife in my arsenal, and so the search took on a new direction.
After some time judging several candidates on attributes such as pointyness, throwablity, slice factor, and overall sex appeal, I felt I had chosen a great knife to buy. How much?” I asked excitedly.
“Sixty”, the seller said. Sixty bucks for a knife!?
No way. I stab cheap too.
Not wanting to compromise my standards and settle for a lesser knife, I explored other options: tasers, truncheons, chemical sprays, crossbows and other creative options all caught my eye, but seemed to lack the dynamic appeal I was hoping for. A slick looking harpoon came closest to bucking the trend, but also fell short after a tough round of theoretical situation tests involving zombies.
I was beginning to feel bummed about the very real prospect of leaving the gun show without having raised my lethal levels by an iota. And then, in a booth tucked back in the dim, sinister shadows, I found it: the bat star. Yes, I had found the very same weapon used and approved by Batman himself as the ultimate in lethal air-to-face technology. Not just like any lame ninja start or throwing dagger, but a bat shaped disk with curving, razor sharp wings of steel configured precisely to arc through the air in such a way as to cut down multiple opponents and still return to the thrower’s hand. And as a further enhancement, you could slide your fingers into holes in the center of the disk to make your hand a lethal, bat-knuckled force for justice.
I ran it through the critical set of criteria:
Effective? Oh yes.
Proven? By the Dark Knight himself.
Intimidating? Undoubtedly.
Excited, I asked the final question: “How much?”
“Five bucks.”
Success! I had acquired the answer to my personal defense needs – and for the price of a cheeseburger! What a country.
And so, I would highly recommend going to a gun show as an interesting weekend excursion. They’re usually free, the crowd is freakishly diverse, and you might see something that would be fun throw at some watermelons, a large group of balloons, or The Riddler.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
12
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
21
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
23
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
25
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in
/ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line
26
Warning: mktime() [function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 12
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 21
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 23
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 25
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EST/-5.0/no DST' instead in /ebs/home/il062aii/domains/il062.aisites.com/public_html/wp/wp-includes/functions.php on line 26
February 5th, 2008
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »