Stormy Skies

I'm stoked about this film

2009-01-06T12:56:00.002-05:00

GREYSCALE is a Neo-Noir Thriller in the tradition of Brick, Memento, Unknown, Lucky Number Slevin, and the 1950 classic D.O.A.

SYNOPSIS:

When his wife JULIA is killed in an explosion at a Mob warehouse, the world of artist OLIVER ALLEN literally turns gray.

Oliver, a painter who had hoped to trade a checkered past for a new life with Julia, suffers grief-induced Achromatopsia – the inability to see any color – a condition that plunges him into a world of black and white and shades of gray.

It’s the least of his problems.

The Mob is after him. GAVIN CALHOUN (Tim Russ), is intent on two things: avenging the death of the mobster-boss son, who also died at the warehouse; and finding out what Oliver knows about a dead undercover cop who penetrated the Family – a cop who happened to be Julia’s father (Anthony Tyler Quinn).

So Oliver abandons his witness-protection safe house in Denver, one step ahead of Calhoun’s murderous lieutenant, JAMISON (Doug Jones), and seeks refuge in the old hometown of his idyllic university days with Julia. Amidst a swirl of flashbacks, he enlists the help of BLAKE, his eccentric college roommate, and WINSTON, a techno-geek with an arsenal of tricked out toys that go bang. Into the mix comes RACHEL SOREN, a stunning and mysterious woman whose request for an art commission in return for answers to his shaded past sends him on a desperate quest to discover the reasons behind the spiral of violence.

Oliver descends into the netherworld, mining the streets and alleys and last-chance churches for any detail about a mob database and the decryption key that might unlock it. His search brings him face to face with the two DONNELLY BROTHERS, crime-family thugs sent to find him, and a lead pipe. Now Oliver’s world turns black.

But Oliver wakes up in a speeding car driven by his wife, the very-much ALIVE Julia.

His tempestuous reunion with Julia catapults Oliver into a web of betrayal – in which no one seems to be who they are, where loyalties are tested, and allegiances broken, giving him a last chance to make peace with the past and a new shot at a future.

2008-12-27T10:20:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone, I know that no one ever reads this blog anymore, but if someone happens to stumble across this, please do me a favour.

Right now, there's a film competition on Youtube from the Sundance film festival called "Project: Direct". People from all across the world have entered, but it's now closed, and has been narrowed down to the top ten films. One of those films is called "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall", and not only has a powerful message about truth, it was written and directed by Brooke Martin, a Christian 18-year-old girl from Minnesota, and is her first EVER short film, and to have it go this far is an incredible accomplishment already.

Now, with our assistance, her film could go on to win the whole competition, be screened in front of tons of people, and be placed on the front page of Youtube(think, millions of viewers, every day). All I ask is that you take a few minutes to watch her short film, and if you think that it's amazing like I did, vote for it.

You can find the film here(click "watch in HD" just below the screen, it's gorgeous):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHgshn0vIW0

When you're done, go here to vote:

http://www.youtube.com/user/projectdirect

2008-12-24T18:12:00.003-05:00

"Hello, how are you today"

"Good...looking forward to Christmas?"

"Well...I'll just be glad when it's over."

"Ah, is it just really busy for you, or..."

"Well..." long pause "I guess it's just not the same when you lose a family member."

"Ah."

2008-12-16T16:52:00.001-05:00

Tada!

2008-10-16T19:38:00.003-04:00

A week ago, I was blank....I had no good ideas. Now:

I'm doing a music video for Play Oliver.
I'm doing a music video for Phos.
I'm sometime soon doing a music video for Kathleen Dunn.

And I had a flood of new ideas at work that tied in to some of my old ideas....so I've got a great plot in the works for a new movie....:D!

Figures that it all comes at the same time, eh?

Plus this:

http://coldplay.com/lostcontest.html

2008-08-18T19:17:00.003-04:00

This is it. This is the end of the beginning, and the start of the middle. This is what I've been waiting for my whole life. I'm focused, and I'm ready.

I need $30,000 by next year to be able to go to Compass Film Academy. On top of that, I need to make a strong film so that I'll be accepted. This is where I'm being called to go. This is the end of a lot of confusion for me. I just resigned from my job so that I can get a much better paying and steadier one. I wish I didn't have to, because I loved that job, but it's necessary.

But enough of that, I am PUMPED. There are little elves dancing in my head right now, and my blood is running 5x faster that normal.

2008-08-15T17:57:00.002-04:00

I think I want to go here next year:

http://compassfilmacademy.com/home

2008-07-31T20:30:00.002-04:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo

2008-07-17T23:02:00.003-04:00

This is just a little taste of my new look that I will be revealing over the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

Update: Problems with the new look were sorted out.

P.S. If anyone is looking for their lost duckling, one was spotted in a green car, accompanied by an unidentified older duck. Authorities are unwilling to speculate on the causes behind this, but anyone with further information is asked to contact the appropriate persons. Thank you.

2008-07-16T23:35:00.004-04:00

It's like there a million little elves dashing about in my head, bumping into the slow ponderous trolls, who trample the fledgling hobbits who are just out for a jaunt in the woods.

2008-07-05T23:27:00.001-04:00

1. Move on and lose out.

2. Stay strong and break apart.

3. Spill the beans.

4. Avoid the conflict.

2008-06-28T00:29:00.000-04:00

I like stress.

Not.

2000 Things about yourself Survey

2008-06-27T17:12:00.001-04:00

...

486: Are you sarcastic? NO!.................HAHA Get it I was being sarcastic, he hehehehe, LOL>!

...

Panic in a Box - Full

2008-06-26T21:46:00.004-04:00

I know some of you have been waiting for this, so here it is: Panic in a Box, the full version, on Youtube. I'm starting to gear up for my next project(which I'm very excited about :P), so it's time to release this one into the wild. Enjoy!

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=uOP3ss7PVGg

2008-06-12T14:49:00.003-04:00

Guess who just got a free Zune(a.k.a. MP3 player)...:P. From here:

http://www.matchstick.ca/mp3/

P.S. It's ok to be jealous of my wordly possesions :P.

(not)

P.P.S. Did I mention I can give a free one to a friend of my choice?

2008-06-11T18:29:00.000-04:00

"Never forget to learn some more."

Good point.

2008-06-05T23:47:00.003-04:00

I just wrote an essay in 20 minutes flat. At that pace, I could be finished high school in three hours.

2008-06-04T22:10:00.004-04:00

Snippet:
...
Seas of blue and shores of silver,
violet mist floats on chariots of gold.
Shattered hearts and wars don't exist here,
in this moment that I would die for.

...

This is how I feel...

2008-05-29T01:49:00.002-04:00

Outside the rain poured down, the drops drumming on the windows, changing their rhythm as the gusting wind swept by, creating ever-changing light patterns as they reflected and imprisoned the beams of light from the lone street lamp that cast light on the clustered houses of the suburban landscape. Inside, a cheery fire crackled in the hearth of the living room fireplace, emanating warmth as a contrast to the cold, wet night beyond the walls of this family-sized dwelling. A simple love-seat and couch furniture set took up half the floor space, their rubber-bottomed legs resting on a fake hardwood pattern. In the center of the room, a dark wooden coffee table topped by a embroidered white cloth provided for the saucers and cups that guests were served. It was in this space that you could feel all the past dicussions, witty banter, and conversations that had taken place.

In the basement, there lived a troll, who would occasionaly bash on the ceiling and startle the houseguests, but generally, he sat alone in the dark, sometimes drawing crude pictures on the walls, leaving marks of his filth all around the room. When guests asked for a tour of the house, they were told that the living room was really all there was to see. The owners of the house had tried many times to kick the troll out of the basement, sometimes with limited success, but always when they went to sleep at night, they would hear the troll snuffling and snorting below them. After many attempts, they finally gave up, resigned to their fate to live forever with a troll. Tours of the house are still not allowed to this very day.

If you hear a troll in your basement tonight, remember that if you don't get rid of him, you'll never be able to give tours of your house, and what kind of host would that make you?

2008-05-15T00:26:00.002-04:00

I recently had my nice pair of headphones become useless become one of the channels(right ear) stopped working. I decided to try and fix them.

The resulting fix(which works, by the way) involved vandalising an old pair of iPod headphones, duct tape, scotch tape, a lighter, scissors, a peice of wood that you get with art canvases, an elastic, and a bulldog clip. All with much screaming, swearing, and writhing.

You also can't access the volume control anymore. Small sacrifices, I say.

2008-05-09T12:16:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone. For those of you who are interested, you can now enter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Coldplay at Madison Square Gardens in New York. Go to the Coldplay website to do so(you have until June the 1st). If you aren't interested, sign up anyways and pass the tickets over to me if you win ;).

They're also playing in Toronto on the 29th and 30th of October. Tickets go on sale on June 14th.

2008-05-05T02:22:00.002-04:00

Tonight, I played with my Dad's old electric guitar. I had a lot of fun.

2008-04-30T00:12:00.002-04:00

Tonight, it took me five minutes to get anything out of the honey bottle.

Thoughts floating around right now:

The characteristics of a heart beat(maybe capitalized)

Abstract loneliness

Dedication

The time it takes to move on

Move on?

If you were to marry someone, would you rather have lots of food or lots of fun(and possibly die of starvation)?

Stealing is wrong

I haven't posted anything interesting on this blog for quite some time

Punctuation is powerful

I hate cliches and stereotypes with an underwhelming passion

To write how you feel - the key to poetic genius.

If you had to choose: Stream of conciousness, or polished performance?

Things I want to do before I die: 72. Make a movie that I'm proud of. 73. Do the things I want to do before I die.

737. 104. 56. Significant numbers in my life

74. Travel somewhere and stay there until I run out of money. Then find a way home.

75. Have a home.

Life is not worth living without a death worth dying.

Contrast - it defines everything. Highs and low are worth it. Don't avoid pain for the sake of avoiding it. Do things that you know will hurt. Do things that make you look stupid. Do things everybody says are pointless(trvial things). Don't be afraid to be hungry, thirsty, homeless, alone, or afraid. Go into the world with only the clothes on your back and a staff in your hand.

76. Walk somewhere, and find a place to sleep.

I'm alone too much for my own good

77. Be with other people for an entire month.

It's sad that has to be a goal

78. Write a poem from the heart. Learn how to write good poetry.

79. Go for three months without the Internet, telephones, and television, while in North America. Keep a journal and post it on a blog afterwards.

Act on the things important to you

80. Kiss someone who loves me and my hair at 12:00am, outside, with a cold wind freezing our ears.

Romance - something that everyone knows something about...if we only knew what everyone knows

I want to be famous. I hate that I want to be famous

The only thing worse than nothing is everything.

81. Feel joy.

Learn to trust in Jesus and his power over sin

.

"This is a faithful word, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."

Humility is the hardest thing in life, but also the most rewarding.

North American culture is shit. "of whom I am chief."

"Was a long and dark December
When the banks became cathedrals
And the fog
Became God"

Do this sometime. Even if nobody cares. Even if they wish you hadn't.

Give someone a second chance today. Odds are, they need it.

2008-04-29T11:31:00.003-04:00

Coldplay just released their first new song since X&Y, titled "Violet Hill", available for download at http://coldplay.com .

Check it out. It's awesome.

2008-04-19T18:43:00.001-04:00

I'm melting inside. Courage and confidence.

2008-04-15T16:42:00.002-04:00

I just drank some tea and went through old pictures of Luke, Jon and I. Now I'm really happy :). Sick, but happy :).

I also discovered a band called "The Frames", who have an excellent song titled "God Bless Mom."

2008-04-01T17:57:00.001-04:00

This evening, I burned my finger while attempting to taste my rotini and ground beef creation.

Not quite as peaceful as yesterday.

2008-03-31T20:07:00.004-04:00

This evening, I accidentally poured half a bottle of hot red pepper flakes into my delicious spaghetti and meatballs.

I also feel peaceful.

2008-03-21T20:15:00.000-04:00

Agents of Hope.

Adventures at Suicide Hill

2008-03-11T01:10:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone,

I pretty much just had the funnest day of my life. Jolisa wanted to do some sledding, soooo, Luke, Jordan and I all jumped on board, and headed off to Dundas Hill. The first thing we did when we got up there is walked side by side up the middle of the hill, right where people were sledding. This, of course, made all the Dads and Moms at the top tell their kids not to go, and of the kids that did go, we managed to make fun of all of them as they went down. Yeah, typical teenagers. So, we did a couple runs down, we had an inner tube, a KRRAZZZYY Karpet, and two GT's. It was about that time I ditched my coat and hat and gloves, because it was super hot out, so I was in a T-shirt, a scarf, magical snow-resistant shoes, and snow pants.

At about this time, we were having tons of fun, and decided to do something a little more adventurous. As we looked across the scenery, we noticed a hill that looked pretty fun that was behind Dundas Hill. By fun, I mean steep. We immediately labeled it "Suicide Hill". So, off we set for Suicide Hill(leaving behind coat, hat, and gloves), and as we set off from the top of Dundas Hill, there was a hill going down the back side of it, conveniently pointed in the direction we wanted to go. So, I on my inner tube, Luke on his GT, Jordan on his GT, and Jolisa on her Krazy Karpet(well, actually she didn't go down....she walked down), decided to go down this hill, which was moderately steep. As we attempted to do so, there were some other kids walking up the path, watching us, as we fell all over and screamed and generally made fools of ourselves. We made it to the bottom, and waited for Jolisa as she walked down. When she arrived, she commented, "That kid said you were lame."

Well, that was when the REAL fun began. We were, of course, horribly offended, and yelled to the kids that we would show them "lame". We set off Suicide Hill, which was happily in full view from the other hill. Now, what we didn't know was that there was a creek in between the hill and us. Well, we found out soon enough as we contemplated this new barrier. Eventually however, we found a way, Jordan and Luke using a tree branch that had fallen over, while Jolisa and I jumped across at a narrower location farther along.

At last, we reached Suicide Hill. Now, if it looked steep from Dundas Hill, it looked even steeper now. We began the climb, which was easy at first, but grew harder and harder as the hill steepened ever more the higher it got. We struggled furiously with the ice and snow that made us slip and fall back. Luke tried to throw his GT so he wouldn't have to carry it....it didn't go nearly far enough, and careened to the bottom again as Luke dived after. He started back up again. Near the top, Jordan made use of some fragile branches to finally pull himself, and then myself over the ridge, and finally, we were there. We helped Jolisa and Luke up, until finally, we were all at the top looking down. Now, if it looked steep from the bottom of the hill, it looked STEEP now.

Jordan was the first to brave the heights, and he flew down, narrowly avoiding trees and fearsome bushes, screaming as he went. He skidded to a stop just in front of a menacing tree, and rose his fists in victory. His victorious cheer filled the air.

Luke was the next to go. His GT flew forward, pushing snow aside and into the air, pluming outwards like the wake of a mighty ship. He hit the midway mark...and separated from his ride, tumbling forwards and sideways, arms and legs grasping to find a steady place. He rolled to a stop, not far from his GT. With determination, he leaped back on and finished his run, letting out his victory shout.

I trembled at the top, on my inner tube that wasn't large enough for all of me, wind screaming past my ears. I decided to wait for a GT. Once I had acquired that from Jordan, who had clambered back up, I still felt fearful adrenaline pumping through my blood. Jordan reached over. I said, "Do it." He gave me a push, and I was off. The snow soared up all around me. A tree whizzed past on my left. I just missed a deadly bush on the right. The creek was in front of me. I turned my GT, skidding to a graceful stop....on my butt. My heart raced and my mouth turned my screams into shouts of, "Who's lame now?!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an inner tube in flight. The GTs had seemed fast - the inner tube was going at least twice the speed. One tree was avoided, the other; well, that was was so close, Jordan had to duck under the very low hanging branches, and missed the trunk by only a couple of inches. That would be the last of the inflated inner tube, as it's last blaze of glory had left it empty, with punctures and holes draining it's air. We decided to go for a last run on Suicide Hill.

Did I say I had just missed a deadly bush? Well, apparently I didn't miss, because when I reached the top, Luke noted, "your arm is bleeding." And so it was, as it seem the bush had reached out its thorny branches and lacerated my right arm, and the flaming red marks and dark blood told the tale.

Back to the last run, Luke went first, only reaching hallway way again before wiping out. He dashed back up the slope, and tried again, only to fail yet again. He frowned in despair and gave up ever making it all the way down the hill without falling. I was next; deprived of my GT and having only a deflated inner tube to ride upon. Summoning up my courage(after five minutes), I pushed myself forward, and started speeding up....only to start rolling down the hill. I started off again...and tumbled forward....I jumped back on the inner tube...and the deep snow deprived me of any forward motion. I picked up the inner tube, ran down, jumped in the air, landed back on the inner tube....and tumbled down the rest of the hill. Now I was cold, covered in snow. But that's not the end of the tale.

We had the cross the river again. This time, jumping back in the same place wouldn't really have worked, because it was too steep on our side. So, Jordan and I trekked on to another location. Now, two things happened at once here. We'll start with Luke and Jolisa's side of things. They had found a nice spot, so Luke threw his GT and the Krazy Karpet over to the other side...except he missed, and his GT sank into the water. He jumped over, and tried to rescue it....and fell in himself. He soaked his legs quite thoroughly. Back to Jordan and I. Jordan found a nice frozen spot and crossed over easily by walking on the ice. He told me to do the same. I followed his recommendations, and as I stepped onto the ice, I heard it crack. I leapt speedily towards the other side, but I fell short, hit the edge of the ice, which cracked and let me sink right to the bottom. That was my legs soaked.

We finally made it to our cars, bleeding, freezing, soaked, but energized. Definitely not lame.

And thus ends my tale. Of course, many things happened afterwards. We went to Tim Hortons the celebrate with some hot drinks....Luke spilled his all over his coat and pants. We rented a movie(and spent an hour looking). We played Wii at Jolisa's house. We played a lot of ping pong. I dropped my paddle, continued playing with my hands, and won the rally. We played air hockey, with a final showdown consisting of four pucks at once. We listened to sweet dance music. We waved to people as we went past. We did Chinese fire drills. We wore flip flops with socks. We mixed flip flops and boots. We had incredible pork chops and salad. We got left behind at a stop sign. We had a sweet, awesome, amazing, fun time.

2008-03-05T19:37:00.006-05:00

24 Hour Film Contest - Reflections

2008-03-02T23:41:00.002-05:00

Hello friends,

Another story, another experience, and again, it's all over. The last few days have been extremely busy, tiring, stressful, but also fun :). A brief recap for those who weren't there:

It all started at around 7pm, when Jolisa showed up at my place. The weather was poor, I had one person who almost cancelled but then didn't because of weather, and I also had a couple other people cancel for various reasons, so we ended up with a team of eight. Those people were Rachel, Luke, KathleenL, JonV, Victor, Jolisa, Rosalie, and myself. Jolisa, Luke(who had showed up a bit earlier) and I partied for a couple of hours eating candy and drinking root beer, as well as going to pick up equipment. At ~12am, Rosalie and Vic showed up. We all started doing some unproductive brainstorming until Kathleen and Rachel showed up at 1am. When they showed up, we separated into Creative(Rosalie, Kathleen, Jolisa, Vic, and Jon when he arrived the next morning) and Technical(Rachel and Luke) teams. The Creative team went upstairs to start serious brainstorming, while I did a crash course for the Technical team in lighting, audio, and camera operation. Rachel became the camera operator, and Luke took on the role of lighting technician. The Creative team came up with a couple ideas, which we talked about, and then we took a bit of a break at around 3am.

At about this time, I checked the countdown for security elements(certain objects or dialogue we had to incorporate into our movie), and noticed that instead of starting at 5am, we were actually starting at 7am. So, at this point, the processes ground to a halt, and we all kind of chilled out and took naps. I and a few others came up with a couple new ideas before we died as well. So, I ended up sleeping for about an hour between 5:30 and 6:30, and then we finally received our security elements at 7am. This is when the serious planning began, and we finally settled on the imaginary brother idea.

After writing the script, which we finished at around 11am, we started setting up the first shooting at my house, for the breakfast, dinner, and kitchen scenes. That took more or less until 12am, when we finally started shooting. We finished shooting all those scenes at 4pm. Car scenes and in the church vacuuming took another hour after that, and at around 5pm, we packed all the rest of our stuff from my house, and left for a restaurant in Hamilton at 5:30pm. We arrived there at 6pm, and scraped in a finish at 7pm.

I headed back home, while everyone else went their separate ways, edited the movie until 2:30am, had a bunch of technical issues which forced me to stay up until 4am. By that time I was starting to black out periodically, so I was relieved to finally get to bed, for my 8am wake-up time.

So, this was a lot of fun to do, and even though the finished product to me is only "Meh", it was a great experience. Hopefully my next project(which I'm starting work on ASAP) I'm going to spend some serious time on the story and general pre-production, which is where I feel everything I've done so far has been lacking in. But back on topic, I'd like to do some shout-outs:

Vic, for being my main character again. Thanks for being around, and being an awesome actor, and for being helpful in getting us a restaurant location.

Jolisa, for playing a difficult role and doing it well. Also for putting up with my shenanigans(this goes for everyone, actually).

Rosalie, for being adaptable and taking on the role of costumes and make-up supervisor, and performing tasks above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks for being flexible and not freaking out :). Also thanks for sweet romantic comedy ideas :P.

Kathleen, for playing a realistic mother, being cool with wearing bathrobes and classic sweaters, helping out with make-up, and for putting up with my shenanigans.

Jon, for putting a tie and being a dad, helping with anything I'd ask, entertaining the cast and crew, and being cool with being fired a few times.

Rachel, for being a brilliant camera operator, learning new tasks quickly, guarding the equipment with a ferocity unmatched, and for being smart and safe in how you did your job.

Luke, for unexpectedly being an amazing lighting technician. I plan on having you as my lighting guy from now on. Thanks for being excited about your job.

Well, that's all I have to say about that. If you want to contribute to my next project, I'm looking for story ideas(and money) at the moment. Send them in!

24 Hour Film Contest - The Brother

2008-03-02T03:52:00.002-05:00

Just a note, Youtube is a terrible way to watch these kind of things. The HD footage looks absolutely beautiful.

2008-02-26T10:43:00.003-05:00

I need one more person for the 24 Hour Film Contest this Saturday......if that's you, don't hesitate, email me or comment here....it's going to be awesome.

TAKEN - Thanks for your interest everyone! If you wanted to participate this time but weren't able to, word on the street is that I'm starting to work with a writer on a new project. I'm thinking it will be a longer short(45 min) or feature length(90min+).

2008-02-23T17:49:00.001-05:00

Coldplay is putting the finishing touches on its fourth studio album, an as-yet-untitled project set for an early summer release via Capitol. A summer tour of North America and Europe will follow.

I'm ridiculously excited. Who's in for a Coldplay concert this summer?

24 Hour Film Contest

2008-02-03T23:17:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I have an exciting event that I need people for - The Christian Filmmakers 24 hour film contest. Basically, the contest is, you have 24 hours to make a film(3 mins long), including editing and VFX. So here's the deal: On March the 1st, at 12am, we would all meet at a pre-arranged location. At that location, we would start getting ideas for stories and locations and such. At 6am CST(5am our time), several story elements will be revealed on the contest website, which must be incorporated is some way(with points for originality) into our story. As soon as that happens, we'll take a couple hours to finish writing our story, then we'll starting shooting it. That will probably take 15 hours or so, leaving myself with 7 hours of editing time, for the 6am CST deadline.

So, I would like any volunteers(max of 9). Here are the types of people I'll need:

1 writer(also supervisor during shooting for things like continuity)(PENDING)
1 camera operator(TAKEN)
4 actors(3 TAKEN, 1 PENDING)
1 make-up and costumes person(TAKEN)
2 production assistants(building sets, laying down cables, setting up stuff, getting us donuts, etc). One of these should be able to drive, with their own car.(1 TAKEN, 1 PENDING)

So, if you're interested, let me know! I won't be going to the whole Canadian Idol auditions anymore - this is slightly more interesting, and fun! If you can't come during the night, that's understandable, just let me know how early in the morning you can arrive. 8am would probably be the latest, I think, because after that we'll have to start travelling and such. As an added bonus, if we win, we get $500. I think it'd be fair to first cover all the costs of production, and then either split it equally, or just blow it all on a dinner or something :P. Anyways, once I get enough volunteers, I'll start working on where to meet and all that. Also, if anyone wants to chip in on the budget, that'd be awesome, because I'm not really that rich. But yeah, I won't expect you to, just if you feel especially generous, then...yeah :P.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Love, Keith.

The Dying City

2008-01-28T15:24:00.001-05:00

She felt her heartbeat rising, her breath drawing faster, her fingers tingling. She saw the red and blue lights painted on the paved road beneath her, standing out against the darkness of the night that enveloped the dying city. A bitterly cold wind disturbed her light brown hair, as the snipers took their positions and a tear trickled down her face. Her hand shook, perhaps from the cold, as she reached down into the pocket of her strikingly green jacket. The distant screams from below barely registered in her mind, but she felt the pulsing fear raging in the men below. She lifted her hand again, enjoying the texture and energy that flowed from the glowing spherical object, the object that spelt doom - or salvation - for those last people that remained inside this city of death.

He whispered quietly to himself, his dry lips and tongue unable to produce more than that, as his steady hand kept the long barrel of his lethal weapon trained on the girl above. The fear of his comrades was reflected in their faces; his heart felt peaceful, even content, immune to the gripping despair that this cursed city had to offer. His death was imminent, no doubt, but even death had to be better than anything this life had to offer. The smell of a rotting corpse floated into his nostrils, and he watched as the girl overhead revealed the detonator. He tightened his grip on the trigger.

Their matching brown eyes met - a brief moment in time, over a long distance - but it was enough. Pandora's box opened for them, and hope flooded into their lives. She felt his peace, he felt her passion, and as their minds dissolved into confusion, she dropped the detonator. The snipers killed her instantly - but her passion now lived on inside the one man who had never felt passion in his life. Her legacy, his life, and hope combined. The city lived on.

2008-01-24T01:52:00.001-05:00

There is nothing in this world too evil that it shouldn't be exposed by the light of truth.

Dance Madness

2008-01-23T10:25:00.001-05:00

Ducks in a row?

2008-01-19T01:08:00.000-05:00

Not my picture, for the record.

On the occasion of my being far too serious lately

2008-01-18T00:05:00.000-05:00

2008-01-12T16:12:00.000-05:00

I'd like to take a moment to introduce a friend of mine, Bekah, who has joined the blogging world. Welcome, Bekah :). Find her blog on my list of links to the right.

2008-01-10T19:33:00.001-05:00

It's hard,
hard, not to sit on your hands,
burrow your head in the sand,
hard, not to make other plans
and claim that you've done all you can,
all alone
and life
must go on.

It's hard,
hard, to stand up for what's right
and bring home the bacon each night,
hard, not to break down and cry,
when every ideal that you tried
has been wrong.
But you must
carry on.

Ref:
It's hard,
but you know it's worth the fight,
cause you know you've got the truth on your side,
when the accusations fly.
Hold tight!
Don't be afraid of what they'll say.
Who cares what cowards think? Anyway,
They will understand some day,
some day.

It's hard,
hard, when you're here all alone
and everyone else's gone home.
Harder to know right from wrong
when all objectivity's gone
and it's gone.
But you still
carry on.

'cause you,
you are the only one left
and you've got to clean up this mess.
You know you'll end up like the rest
Bitter and twisted - unless
you stay strong
And you
carry on.

Ref:
It's hard,
but you know it's worth the fight,
cause you know you've got the truth on your side,
when the accusations fly.
Hold tight!
Don't be afraid of what they'll say.
Who cares what cowards think? Anyway,
They will understand some day,
some day.

- Yann Tiersen, Les Jours Tristes

2008-01-10T00:56:00.001-05:00

Something I need to do more of.

In other news, I made a sweet ricochet shot off of some power cables into my garbage can with a peach core.

2008-01-09T23:26:00.001-05:00

I just had the revelation of the year: If you go in the right direction, you won't get lost.

Fancy that.

P.S. Anyone who's coming to the film festival on the 25th should contact me - we're making a day of it, so if you're interested, send me an email :). KL - don't worry, you're in ;).

2008-01-08T13:50:00.001-05:00

Inhabitants

2008-01-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, new short film, made on New Year's Eve, is now available on YouTube.

2007-12-22T23:50:00.000-05:00

ACCEPTANCE to WILDsound's January Film Festival

Now THAT is what I'm talking about. I couldn't think of a better thing to come home to.

Your film will be screened on Friday evening January 25th in Toronto, Canada at the National Film Board theatre in downtown Toronto and Moderated by Award winning Director MICHAEL KENNEDY.

Yeah, he's the guy who directs Little Mosque on the Prarie. Should be interesting :).

So, if anyone wants to come and see my film get slammed, feel free :). All the info and such will be on the Wildsound website(www.wildsound.ca). Now I just have to decide who gets my second ticket :P.

2007-12-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, if you want to check out how my film is doing with film festivals and stuff(though you can't see anything yet, I haven't gotten notification from anywhere so far), check out my audience page at:

http://audience.withoutabox.com/films/panic

If you saw it, feel free to rate it or comment on it.

2007-11-26T23:54:00.000-05:00

What's in a name?

Sometimes, life gives you lemons, so you make lemonade - yes, true, but what happens if it gives you a bitter red wine with a side dish of dark unsweetened chocolate and soft jazz music in the background....do you make a romantic date of it?

There are certain, untangible emotions that have eluded complete descriptions or depictions since the beginnining of time, and likely, until we are made perfect with Jesus,
will never be completely understood.

Not all overwhelming emotion for a specific individual is romantic love. Of course, sometimes emotion expresses itself in way that is sometimes misinterpreted....When you feel something in your heart, and are able understand it in your head, then it is safe to deny any statement that contradicts what you understand.

It's a good thing I like wine and chocolate and jazz music :).....Two months until I find out if I should make anything out of it...

Some say that I'm cryptic. I think it's more that I write to express myself, without particularly thinking about how specific individuals will interpret what I say. It's sad that people have to interpret. The scrambling of languages at the Tower of Babel was more than just the confusion of words. It was the confusion of thoughts and minds.

2007-11-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Life can be strange sometimes.

2007-11-20T00:39:00.000-05:00

I have a story, finally. Tonight, I was inspired by my past, by tearing off the cover I had on old things, and I found what I was looking for for. So, ladies and gentleman reading this blog, I have a clear goal in mind again...I can't tell you much without spoiling it, but let me give you a few key words.

Honesty. Fair Trade. Optimism. Money. Death. Hope.

Now....all I need to do is all the rest of the work involved in making a short film.

2007-11-13T22:47:00.000-05:00

I think blogs are very narcissist.

2007-10-25T00:23:00.000-04:00

I have been having such an excellent time with life lately! I can't even believe how fun and amusing everything is. Seriously, people, stop for two seconds, look around, and find something about your life that's absolutely hilarious that you've never thought of before. If you haven't taken my Facebook quiz, take it, because it's amusing me to DEATH right now. Like, not the laugh-out-loud-for-two-hours type of amusing, but more like the this-internal-pressure-of-amusingness-is-going-to-make-me-explode type of amusing. You can compliment my sentence writing ability later.

Anyways, I'm pretty sure Wednesdays are my favourite day of the week. I am in SUCH a good mood.

Gah, I just want everyone to be happy! I am so full of joy and delight in life that if I don't pass it on, I probably will die from some sort of internal hemorrhaging. Dance! That's what I(and you) need to do. I think I shall go dance.

2007-10-11T23:56:00.001-04:00

Please....keep your November 9th evening open.

2007-10-07T20:09:00.001-04:00

Dear Keith,

Thank you for your submission, Gone.

We really enjoyed your mobisode and would like to include it on SHORTSNONSTOP.COM!

Content Agreement etc, etc.

---

Confused? This means that I qualify for the judging stage in this little competiton of mine. 6 users have rated my film already, 3\5 stars, which is around where I'd expect it to be...

It's gone

2007-10-05T01:41:00.000-04:00

Well, dear friends, I have entered my first short film into my first film festival. This truly was one of my fastest productions, I started planning and organizing on the 2nd of October, came up with a cast, crew, and location as well as equipment by the 3rd, at which time I shot all of my footage, in the dark, with artificial lighting. On the 4th, I edited the footage at the same time that I composed and produced my own music, as well as titling and credits. On the 5th, I submitted my completed film, just before the deadline(the 5th :)). It is now in the approval process....if approved, fifteen days after the 5th(the would be the 20th of October), I should be notified of the final results. I hope to at least make the Top Ten.

http://www.shortsnonstop.com/

At this time, I'd like to specially thank a few people who helped me out, in chronological order. First, I'd like to thank Rachel Laird for brainstorming with me(I was brainstorming before the 2nd), her ideas led me into the direction I finally decided upon.

Second, I would like to thank Mark Geier, my employer, who was lenient enough to let me use all his equipmemt. I wouldn't have had anything without his assistance.

Third, I'd like to thank my wonderful cast and crew, specifically, Brittni Vandenhaak, Kira Lodder, Luke Bonvanie, and by reason of residence, Jordan Geier. You guys put up with my disorganized mess of things, and helped me pull together a result that actually looks somewhat decent. Thanks :).

Fourth, to the parents of the aforementioned cast and crew, for allowing me to keep your sons and daughters up late. Well, I wouldn't say you really allowed me to, but, I haven't had any lectures yet, so I think I'm in the clear :). A special thanks to Mrs. Lodder, who kindly provided us with a quick dinner and fashion advice, which was very much apprechiated.

Fifth, to all of my friends, you people have influenced me in ways that nobody will ever be able to know(not even me). Thank you for your encouragement, support, and words of wisdom.

That's it for now......wait, what? You want to actually see it? Uhm....ok, I guess.

2007-09-30T00:23:00.000-04:00

What happens when trapped steam has nowhere to go?

The container enclosing it explodes.

---

Friendship is constant in all other things
Save in the office and affairs of love.
- Shakespeare

---

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
-2 Timothy 1:7

---

Would someone say they're looking for something they've already found?

Seriously.

---

Honesty is crucial to existence.

---

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."
- John 1:47

---

Always make sure you clarify what you mean. This will lead to less misunderstandings later.

---

What if God wanted you to love someone who you've tried to avoid your entire life?

---

Gah.

---

Contentment has crept up on me again, therefore, anything further I write will bore the average reader. Closing thoughts:

Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can share its joy.
-Proverbs 14:10

All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.
-Proverbs 15:15

Trailer

2007-09-20T04:18:00.000-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for. Presenting...

2007-07-07T00:31:00.001-04:00

I am in fact interested in alot of things. I think that the more things that you are interested in, the more interesting your life will be.

-- Chris Martin

2007-06-24T21:59:00.000-04:00

I'm going to Ottawa on Saturday for two of the FIFA under-20 games with Vic. I'm like...excited beyond belief.

2007-06-19T22:56:00.000-04:00

I'm getting happier by the second and I can't explain it.

2007-06-19T22:54:00.000-04:00

Gah...back up to euphoria again. When will this rollercoaster life end?

Actually, I enjoy it. I don't think I would enjoy life at all withOUT conflict, and hardship, and striking defeats.

Yes...I did use euphoria correctly :P. I just made sure of that :P. Dumm dee...

2007-06-18T23:27:00.000-04:00

One touch can change the world, set in motion an unstoppable force, open the gates to freedom, save a person's life. It can also kill a million people.

Some people have burdens on their heart, but they don't know and don't care. Others pretend they have burdens that they don't have to grab attention to themselves.

Does the end justify the means? Does telling a lie for the sake of truth make it right? Does wasted time ever become useful? Does justice have precedence over love?
Do bloody hands reveal guilt, or do they reveal innocence?

Is it possible to hate loving? Or to love hating? I mean that in the true senses of both words.

Why are questions easier than answers? Why is contrast so striking?

How do you cleanse a dirty heart? How do you heal a broken soul? How can you trust God when He is so surreal? How can you expect others to trust something you don't understand? How is it that reality is less important than a fantasy utopia? How do words become worthier than deeds? How does fake win out over real? How come you can feel good about bad things?

The routine seems so pointless. I'm happy in a depressing sort of way.

2007-06-17T22:57:00.000-04:00

2007-06-16T00:47:00.000-04:00

I finally did it. Now...I need to keep it up. I must speak with Amanda.

Oh, and the joke is on you now, because I'm amused.

----

A little ancedote: I always wondered why the last sentences on my previous post looked odd. I finally saw that I forgot to put the "a" before "while". Everytime I looked at it, I would feel wrong, but I never figured it out. Until now.

2007-06-12T23:23:00.001-04:00

This is how I felt tonight:

This is what I needed to happen:

This is what I wanted to happen:

This is what happened:

I amused myself for while. The joke is over now.

2007-06-06T00:30:00.000-04:00

There's something about romance that is fascinating.

I saw a few episodes of a TV show that was so unpopular that it was canceled before in reached the end of its first season. I loved it, but only because of two characters that entirely made the show. If I take a step back, I can easily see why nobody liked it, but those characters...If I ever create a drama, it's going to have characters that are just as interesting as those two.

Yes, I'm not giving any more details about the show or the characters for a reason :P.

2007-05-21T23:57:00.001-04:00

I have a different attitude, but I feel the same.

2007-05-17T00:28:00.000-04:00

Great, well, I can't get to sleep again, because this time I'm thinking about a certain person who perplexes, intruiges, and all around makes me curious, not because of who she is, but because of how I view her. I see this person once a year, at a certain conference, and pretty much stalk her in my spare time. (Katie started it...). Anyways, I'm...completely tongue-tied when it comes to actually talking to her, and as a result, I think I've said two lines to her(the first was Hi, I'm Keith, the second one, I made fun of her hometown(come on...East Gillywood? You would too....)). I actually don't know why I'm thinking about any of this, but let me just say in my defense, her friend that she always is with looks very unapproachable. Uhm....yeah, so, that's just...random post in the middle of the night. Enjoy :P. Actually, I think I was going to say something about how we can change relationships by just thinking about them differently, but...obviously that didn't happen.

Thoughts on emotion

2007-05-11T01:33:00.000-04:00

Right, so I was lying in bed at 1:30, and I was just thinking about emotion and people and a question that someone asked me that I never answered, and, I think I had a bit of a revelation about emotion, but I'm not really sure, so, I had to get up and post it here, and if you think it's crap...well, you know what to do :P. Anyways, I usually think about things as if I'm talking to someone else about them(yes, specific people), so, I'm going to post it like I think it. And yes, the names of the people I imagine I'm talking to will be changed, just so nobody gets any ideas :P. Here goes.

Keith: Hey, Kim, I'm been thinking a bit about the question you asked me a while ago, about how guys will like...think about a certain girl if they hang with them for a while and have a good time or whatever, and(actually, the conversations I imagine are usually quite onsided), I think you're right, they do think about the girl at home or whatver, because they get a lot of emotions about them and they don't really...know how to interpret them, and so they think they must have this crush on a girl, but what they're really feeling is kind of...friendship love kind of thing? And like....people don't really know how to deal with emotions or anything, or they like...misinterpret them or something, so a guy will think that having emotion about a girl means that he should try and date her or whatever, when....emotion about someone don't mean that you like them in that way, y'know? And, I think people kind of, try and classify emotion as meaning one thing or another, and they can't just...chill out and enjoy the emotion for what it is? So they'll be thinking...wow, I feel great....I must love her. Like, the other day I was just chilling with Ashley for like...half a day or something, and I felt...really strong emotions, I guess? But....it wasn't like I liked her in that way at all, I just...really enjoy being with her and stuff, and I think that feeling emotion about a girl doesn't mean that you love her or anything. So....basically, I think that people are trying to reason out emotions, when the thing is, emotions aren't reasonable, so people should put them in their proper place, and not try and think like...this emotion means this or this other emotion means that or something. It's like....trying to figure out the proper place to put a sun-riped California orange when you're actually in the banana section. So, yeah, that's what I think.

(Ok, I altered my actual thoughts a bit, just because all of a sudden "Ashley" came in and was all curious about what was going on because she heard her name...and then it got all awkward...nevermind.)

Uhm....I really hope you can make sense of that, because that's pretty much my exact thought processes, so...good luck deciphering it, and leave some comments :P.

Random pics from everywhere...

2007-05-08T21:49:00.000-04:00

Random pics...

2007-05-01T23:09:00.000-04:00

Normally, I don't really like YouTube that much, but I really enjoyed this video, with some light British humour and an entertaining perspective on our foods. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPz_794o2O4&mode=user&search=

Language warning...

2007-05-01T19:51:00.000-04:00

Some more possibilities:

Genuine Chimerical Productions

Scientific Surrealism

Update:

How about something in Latin? "Revera Productions", which means, "in reality".

Happy

2007-04-26T23:40:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm really excited and happy right now. My day has been awesome, because I got a lot accomplished, and I bought some sweet new clothing. I can't wait to show it off tomorrow :P. I also got a very awesome intro finished for my movie, the white box one, really, I think it's one of my best works yet, and that's just the intro. I'm really excited about what I'm going to do with the rest of it, and I have some really crazy ideas that I think will be awesome. My play that I'm producing is pulling together(though a lot still has to be done), and I'm pretty much satisfied with the way things are going(improvement, of course, is always possible). I could not be more content right now. So, until tomorrow for those of you I'll see then, peace out.

2007-04-26T01:59:00.000-04:00

I'm going to create an overall name that people can identify with my productions. Here is what I came up with:

"Excluding Ethereal Productions".

What do you think?

2007-04-23T00:50:00.000-04:00

Potential for beauty makes revulsion even worse.

Sometimes, I just wish I had someone. I wish I didn't have to be patient.

Concert tomorrow(well...today). I'm excited, if only because I get to see people I really want to see. I think I'm really starting to miss MSN. But that's OK, because otherwise this whole thing would be pointless :P.

Gah, it's so frustrating to see something that has so much potential to be good twisted into something sick. I really, really am frustrated at that right now.

I think poets are really cool. I should read more poetry.

Ok, you know what I really hate? Stoicism. I really do.

I think I don't think enough. I should think more.

Hmm...I'm really sorry about not...making sense at all. Maybe it's better to express stuff only I will understand in a journal, but it's very appealing to have everyone reading my thoughts. Odd that I would enjoy confusing people.

I really feel like I'm not doing anything that's really worth anything. It's...kind of scary. Like...it's not that I'm unhappy with anything that I'm doing, really. It's just....I feel like I could be doing so much more.

How do people live without Jesus? Just thinking about that...

I think I'm afraid of too many things.

" For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 1 Timothy 1:7

I totally just got an entirely new look on that verse. Wow...that's...incredible.

I could go on for ages....

2007-04-20T22:22:00.000-04:00

He sat in front of the dead fireplace, matches in hand. His heard throbbed with fear and hurt, and as he stuffed the newspaper scrawled with angry lettering into the black stove, he felt, and he knew that it was real. A match flared in the dark room, and he looked at it for a moment, wondering why nobody cared. As the flames crept across the paper, as they consumed the words from the heart, he watched, and wondered, and hated the ones who made him who he was, even as he realized that it was his own fault. Footsteps on the stairs, and he didn't turn, and nobody cared. He looked across the room, remembering. And then he thrust his hands into a burning inferno, with no escape but to be consumed, and he cried in pain against everything he was, watching his hand wither into dust and ashes. His eyes, dark eyes, were lit up by the light of his own flesh, and he realized he wouldn't be able to follow his dreams, he never was able to follow his dreams. The only thing he could do was ask someone else to realize his dream for him, to take the glory and freedom, because he couldn't reach for the stars anymore. He left the room, running towards the icy creek nearby, and diving in, he felt his feet being to freeze. Nothing to hold on to, nothing to stand on, nothing but emptiness and pain. And within his heart he knew that he couldn't run away anymore, as he watched his feet turn white under the water. He flopped onto shore, and he had nothing, just his head and his heart. And even though everything was gone, he knew, he was still who he was, and even if they took away his freedom, his feet, his hope, his hands, he would LIVE ON, and even if they made him flop for the rest of his life, he would persist, until they saw him for what he really was, and what he always wanted to be to them. He was more than a body, more than a homo sapien, he was real, he felt pain, and he knew that he felt it. And suddenly, he woke up out of the nightmare, and realized that it was real.

If you cannot feel, you cannot live. Care, just care, and love with all your soul, body, mind, and heart, with everything in you, and stop being afraid of what you think they think you are. Look into his eyes today, and you'll see his nightmare, and know that whoever you are, you are the person that can wake him up and set him free. He is real, and so are you, and the truth is REAL, and sometimes, to see that, you need to know what being real really means to you. I started this post with anger and fear in my heart, but all I really wanted to say is that I love you, and I always will, even if your hands and your feet are burned away.

Update

2007-04-13T00:35:00.000-04:00

Finally, an update :P. Things have been going great! I thought I'd just share with you all a few of my accomplishments :P.

1) Tortured Artist(shot in 25 minutes, edited in four hours)

2) The Hardware Store Robbery

3) Almost caught up with schoolwork :P.

4) Relaxing evenings with family

5) Spirtual growth :D.

Yeah, I feel great :P.

Day 2

2007-03-29T21:56:00.000-04:00

Day 1

2007-03-28T22:27:00.000-04:00

Well....it has been 21 and 1\2 hours since I started the fast. So far, I'm feeling really good about it. I went to the library yesterday to pick up some books, just browsing around, looking out for titles that sparked my interest. The book I started on is basically an overview of Socialism, and the first page was quite interesting. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to turn the page before my good friend Vic called me(I had been working all day), so I hung out at his place till, like, 9:30. When I get home, I barely have time to sit down before Luke called me. So, so far, I've spend probably fifteen minutes total on the computer(well, of course, I spent all day on a computer at work, but that's different). I'm quite happy about that, but still, I haven't had a chance to get bored yet, so, we shall see. My first real test will be Friday, when I'm home all day, but hopefully I'll be able to concentrate on the loads of schoolwork that has been piling up. So yeah, really, I'd love to get an email or a call from you, just....randomly. I don't mind if you interrupt dinner, really :P. Right, well, I'm off to prepare for tomorrow and to read the second page about Socialism. Toodles :P.

2007-03-27T23:39:00.000-04:00

As some of you may or may not know, I have ben contemplating an MSN fast. I have now decided to start this in fifteen minutes, continuing on for at least a month. I am extending this fast to include Facebook, and several other of my usual Internet activities. I will be continuing my blog, and if you need to contact me, I will still be responding to emails, though I doubt at the usual speed. I hope this will be a learning experience, and I'll see you all when I see you!

2007-03-26T22:35:00.000-04:00

I'm really tired of instant communication. I don't think I'll be buying more time for my cellphone. I'm also thinking of going on an MSN fast for an indefinite period of time.

A Billion Starving People

2007-03-12T23:29:00.000-04:00

I find it hard to turn away, a billion starving people,

But what can one do, I've heard you say - you can't save someone's life

I want to save a life today, I want to get someone close with my Father.

Be them the bread of life today, I want to help them get stronger, help them last longer

And give them a chance to see Jesus.

I find it hard to just ignore, the murdered unborn children,

Yes times have changed, but still God warns, you shall not take a life.

I want to save a life today, I want to keep one alive for my Father,

Who will avenge the blood!

Of weak and helpless ones someday - whose lives are spilled out like water,

Lambs in the slaughter, and each one is handmade by Jesus.

I find it hard to turn away, a billion starving people, a billion starving people.

By Keith Green.

2007-03-09T02:43:00.000-05:00

Click.

Phantom of the Opera

2007-02-26T22:48:00.000-05:00

Thursday is pirate day. Arr.

2007-02-26T22:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome! It's time for some all original Keith humour!

What did the strawberry say to the sad blueberry?
You look blue, berry."

What did the guy cucumber say to the girl cucumber?
"You look cute, cumber."

What did the Pharoah raspberry say to the slave strawberry?
"Get me some straw, berry!"

What did the doctor watermelon say to the sick raspberry?
"Looks like you've got a rasp, berry"

Cue laughter.

2007-02-24T23:19:00.000-05:00

I hate how blind I am. I hate how I'm not good at things I think I'm good at, and good at the things I don't think I'm good at. I hate how I don't understand anything. I hate being blind.

-

It was a quiet day in a quiet life. Grey skies stretched overhead, and a cool drizzle fell onto the warm earth, absorbed thirstily by the parched ground. The sun was hidden, but a small portion of the sky was lighter than the rest, giving reassurance that it would appear again, when the rain stopped falling. A tall tree spread out its branches, almost leaning forward to catch a few of the small drops. Under one of its lower branches, a silent figure sat, a teenager of no more than seventeen years, clutching onto a small fragment of paper, an envelope crumpled at his side. His soft brown eyes stared at the solitary word written there, reading it again and again, his face distorted with sorrow and love.

"Goodbye."

The note crumpled in hand as he rose, his eyes now staring desperately, his bare feet leaping forward in panic, and he screamed just one word, over and over.

"Nooo!"

"Why not?! What's your problem geek-butt?" The group of guys who loved targeting the weak were surrounding the unpopular kid, cornering him in beside a few lockers. Jovan sighed as he walked passed, wishing that he could do something about it. He turned around his last corner, just before the exit, when he saw her. She was walking towards him, and he wondered what was up. It wasn't that it was something new, but these past few days...They met in the middle of the corridor, and for a few moments, neither spoke, they just looked at each other's eyes. It was kind of a tradition of theirs, they had always been able to tell what the other wanted, just in the first few moments. He was scared by what he saw, the pain and...something else he couldn't quite get a grasp on. It made his stomach turn, though. He finally knew it had been a mistake not to talk to her, even if it had been only three days. She knew that he saw it, and she lowered her gaze, and started fumbling in her purse, whispering something about a note. He forgot about his fear, and his heart started to race with expectation, hoping against all hope...She passed him an envelope, decorated with silver stars and ridiculous caricatures. Her face smiled at him, her lips parting very slightly, and she told him to wait, to open it under their tree, the one that they had claimed as their own just a few months ago. He smiled back at her, and promised that he would. But her eyes...

"Will you remember me?"

They were walking together along an old country road, just the two of them, walking for the sake of walking. The sun's rays stretched lazily across the ground in front of them, and a gentle breeze stirred the branches of the tall trees that stood guard for them as they wandered past. Her hair, long, straight, light-brown hair, rippled as the wind breathed through it. She really was beautiful, her light brown eyes, almost matching his, dancing with a playful spark of happiness and adventure, echoed the joyful spirit that he knew lived in her heart. The question startled him.

"Of course I'll remember you...you're not leaving, are you?"

"No. Not right now, I mean. I don't really know."

"Is there something going on? Is it your family again?"

She turned slightly, facing away from Jovan. He wished he could see her eyes.

"No. My family is cool for now. I'm just...tired, that's all. Not just sleepy, but really tired. Tired of everything. I need something to happen, Jovan, something that will wake me up."

Jovan slowed his pace, and turned towards her, and she turned her head to look at him. Their eyes met, and Jovan almost started crying.

"Tianna, don't." Jovan's voice had an almost unnoticeable tremor. "I need you here. Something will happen, don't worry! Hey, I have an idea." Jovan's voice grew stronger. "Let's sit by this tree, and just wait together. Maybe, just maybe, something will happen while we're there."

She smiled at him, and they sat there together, and talked of many things, of girls and guys, and men and mice, and as they sat, the sun sank beneath the horizon, leaving a streak of orange and pink across the vast canvas of the sky, and the stars arose from their slumber to cast their twinkling light upon the two that sat there, waiting. And as they rose to part ways, a streak of fire lit up the sky above for a brief moment, and they dedicated that tree to their friendship at the same moment, and they felt that the world was at peace with them.

"Tianna, wait!" Jovan's panicked voice echoed across empty fields and silent forests, as he stretched his legs to the max, dirt flying up behind him. His heart pounded in his chest, all the fear that had been growing over the past couple of weeks that he had pushed aside was finally confirmed, and the guilt of it tore him into shreds. He barely even slowed as he reached her driveway, and leaped up the few steps that led into her home. He didn't have time to knock; he knew there would be no one home anyways. Her bedroom door was open, and as he slowed his pace and entered, the first of many tears trickled down his cheek. The letter was there, as he knew it would be, and with trembling hands he unfolded it, and started to read:

"Dear Jovan,

I'm sorry. I had to do this, you know. I was just going to go crazy here, and I didn't want to take you down with me. I really do love him. Whenever I'm around him, he lets me know how much he cares for me, and I know that I'll be happy with him. Please, don't miss me too much. We had so many good times over the past few months. You were the best friend I ever had. You were like a brother to me, and I tried to be a sister to you. Maybe one day, we'll see each other again, and we'll all be happy. Goodbye.

- Tianna"

The tears stained the page as he read it, and somehow, he knew that she wasn't happy, and that she was not ok. He never told her, he never could have, and he knew it was better that he hadn't. But somehow, reason wasn't good enough, and he knew he had lost a treasure, and it had fallen among the swine. He should have held her tighter, helped her better, loved her more. He was on her bed now, her pillow wrapped around his face, and he thought of death. And on a back country road, far away, a car was parked at the side of the road, and unheard screams echoed all around.

Snowboarding #2

2007-02-23T00:17:00.000-05:00

First time snowboarding = Sore muscles

Second time snowboarding = Concussion

This is great. I dread what's going to happen my third time...Not that that will stop me.

You know what I hate? I hate knowing that something is going to hurt like crazy in just a few hours, and, there's nothing you can do about it expect wait. This cinnamon bun is making me feel better(thanks for that, btw :P).

Lost

2007-02-19T23:23:00.000-05:00

I want to be lost...lost in imagination. I want my mind to wander to some far-off place, to forget the things of now. I want to deal with black and white, not grey. I want to talk and listen, and not be afraid. I want to show the truth to the entire world. I want to walk into a dark alley, and find a friend. I want to love the unloved. I want to free the scared and lonely from their fear. I want something, somehow, somewhere.

Strumming...strumming on the guitar. He sang softly to himself, a song of terror and rescue, a song about the morning light. His eyes burned with all the years of silent tears and untold fears. He thought of all he'd said and done, all his fame, all his life's work. He looked at his hands, wrinkled and fading, fading away with the rising sun. The words he sang caught in his throat, and died away. He sat silently, the guitar fallen to his side, his fingers shrivelled and useless. He had wanted something, years ago. He felt his breath begin to slow, he felt his heart working harder, he felt his blood rushing towards his head, and he fell to the ground, collapsing into a limp pile of old skin stretched over old bones. And finally, a tear fell from his eye, and he slowly turned his head to look out of the window, and he saw light finally streaking over the horizon. He breathed, trying to speak, and at last, in an almost unheard whisper, he said, "I want something, somehow, somewhere". He sighed out his last breath, and his bones crumbled into ash, and a breeze finally swept through the room, and he was no more.

100

2007-02-14T00:02:00.000-05:00

Twas a dark and stormy night, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
And a tapping sounded on my bedroom wall,
"Tap, Tap, Tap."

I looked out the window, and what should I see?
A figure of shadow, beaming with glee.
And to the door I made my way, gliding softly o'er the wooden stairs,
"Creak, Creak, Creak."

Quoth the shadow, "Nevermore."

And high above us earthly folk, the clouds swirled and the snow fell,
The wind blew sharp, and the storm did swell,
And the footprints behind faded, into the white that surrounded us,
"Crunch, Crunch, Crunch."

Quoth the shadow, "Nevermore."

What happens next? Will the author reach his destination alive? Who is this mysterious "shadow"? And what is important enough to cause someone to venture out on the worst night of the year? It all will be revealed, next week on..."

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Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the celebration of this network's 100th broadcast! It's been a great run over these past few years, sometimes it looked as if the show might not go on, but go on it did! I don't think any of this would have been possible without the help, support, and love from all of our friends, family, and who could forget, God. I don't have time today to thank all of you individually, but I can assure you that if we know who you are, you probably have, in some way, affected the course of this show, so thank you for making all of this possible. It doesn't look as if things will be changing too much for us, but I can tell you, things will continue to move at a steady pace. Thank you, all of you. Now back to our main programming, take it away...

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It's VALENTINE'S DAY, in only TWO DAYS! Don't wait, send a heart to your sweetheart TODAY! Here's what Valentinia's biggest customer had to say about our products. Vic? "I've always had a secret crush on a certain person, and, I finally decided to share it with them just a few hours ago. Let me tell you, it was the best thing that's ever happened to me. The two of us are already starting plans for the wedding. I don't think I could have summoned the courage without the backing of Valentinia's great selection of quality products. It gives..."

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"George...please, don't leave me like..."

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Welcome to today's edition of DEEPER THINKING! In this episode, we plan to dive into the essence of what makes a bedroom, really a bedroom. Some people cling to the dictionary definition, insisting that without a bed, it can't be a bedroom, and if it has a bed, it's a bedroom. But Deeper Thinking challenges that antiquated idea, and will present to you these three points: One, that bedrooms hold more value than simply physical replenishment. They hold sentimental value, so much, in fact, that it defines your bedroom. Two, the sentimental value of a bedroom is not affected by the bed, which could easily be replaced by another piece of furniture, except in special cases. Three, that since the sentimental value of a bedroom is not affected by the bed, and since the sentimental value is what defines a bedroom, therefore, a bedroom can exist even if it does not contain a bed. That's coming up, right after commercials, so give us a call and tell us what you think! Call 1-800-3...

*click*

*click*

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"And finally, we have an exclusive preview of what the mysterious stranger was REALLY after."

*click-click*

I'm saved!

2007-02-09T17:37:00.001-05:00

For the past few days, I have been unable to blog. The problem is now fixed, and I am very happy :). Now all those weighty things that have been pressing on my mind can finally flow forth in that peculiar mix of verbs and nouns(yes, I am delibately not mentioning the proper classifications of all those other word forms) which results in intelligient communication.

I missed blogging.

...

2007-02-05T23:06:00.001-05:00

It hurts...a lot. I didn't even notice before.

Did I mention that snowboarding is INCREDIBLE?!

2007-01-29T00:28:00.001-05:00

Much better. My eyes have stopped hurting.

2007-01-20T02:22:00.000-05:00

In jail with a friend...It made me smile, and remember. It's been almost a year now, since it
happened, since the exits were taken away, and hope seemed to fade. Awaiting an unknown fate,
hoping for rescue. We sat on the steps, three of us, and we wondered how it had happened. I never
really thought about that experience, until now. Odd, that it seems to have grown in value quite
suddenly. In fact, my view on it changed almost instantly. Almost an epiphany.

April 27-28, 2007

2007-01-08T13:01:00.001-05:00

Snow!!

Pleasssee stay around this time...

Somehow...

2006-12-17T00:25:00.000-05:00

And somehow, you inspire me.

Grey skies, rain falling, dripping down on me,
and I sit on my porch, watching the trees sway,
and the ray of light streaks across the darkness,
and somehow, I see you in the light,
and I know, there is beauty, somehow.

Horses ride across the open field,
and somehow, I know you're riding one of them,
and I watch the water splash and drip,
rain from above and below, puddles and droplets,
and I hear you laugh from afar, somehow.

In between us, a quiet silence,
and somehow, it isn't redundant,
and even though I can't give you what you want,
I can give you what you need,
and there is peace, in the silence, somehow.

And the thoughts which beg for words grows silent, somehow.

2006-12-14T01:04:00.000-05:00

I think the nicest thing a friend has ever done for me, is leave.

I love how all the suble things can give you such a rush.

Social life is the greatest battle of the wits anywhere, and I love both watching and participating.

2006-12-09T01:18:00.000-05:00

I feel my heart compressing...focusing, blurry eyes, straight road, driving.

I hear the voices on, on, blending, laughing, happy, sadness.

Music floats, soars, confusion, fingers gripping, silence on my face.

Following the lights, darkness, blood flowing, dizzy.

Hand on my shoulder, he understands, really?

Mist and voices, I heard you, but did you hear me, did you hear my heart, screaming.

Breathing in the wind, coldness of the darkness, what if, no, maybe.

Concentrating, pain, concentrate.

2006-11-22T23:47:00.000-05:00

Blurring inside my head. Something lurks, and it will not be driven away. Tears and laughter never expressed scream for freedom, and I cannot do either. I cannot laugh, I cannot cry, and outside this mind of mine, I am invisible. My expression is my story, and my story is buried beneath the layers of cold, bare rock. You see a beautiful mountain, but this mountain you see is only a cloak, a cover for the darkness that hides below, waiting, waiting, waiting. I cry for help...nobody hears me. I try to tear down a mountain, but I am doing it all wrong. I work for the unimportant, and I neglect the urgent. I watch myself rise, and then fall, backwards, farther, never gaining. I know what is wrong with me, and yet, I refuse to give it up. I make a token effort, and fall, backwards, into the slimy pit that lets few out of its grasp. I refuse the help offered, and I reach for my downfall for assistance, and I fall again, backwards, deeper, sinking. Am I drowning?