Mikee's Nonperiodicals

Why HOAs and Paxton Towing suck.

2006-01-25T23:15:00.000-08:00

I shouldn't have waited to post this entry, but I was too pissed to think about this blog during the incident where Paxton Towing, a fuck'n lame ass towing company, stole my vehicle. On the 19th I drove down to San Diego to spend the weekend with my family and a family friend's son. I left Los Angeles noonish to avoid the traffic. I made great time and arrived about 3ish, and low and behold there was a parking spot on the street with a close proximaty to my parents house. The spot did not read guest or reserved. It's the perfect spot.

However, this perfect spot turned the following day into one of the worst days ever. In the middle of the night those fuckers, Paxton Towing, stole my car from the perfect non-guest, non-reserved spot. They claim it was parked in a guest spot, and that unlabeled spots, such as the one I was parked in, was guest.

I don't know about laws in other states, but in California, for some reason HOAs can give rights to tow truck drivers to enforce laws, even when they have no training and no legal right to do so. In all other cases a police officer needs to give the order to tow a vehicle. Those crooked fuckers have a racket going. They stole my car and demanded a ransom to get it out of the impound. They're nothing but common thieves.

Now I'm stuck sending a letter to the HOA demanding a refund, if no refund then I get to enter arbitration. And, if still no refund, I get to take the HOA and Paxton Towing to small claims. Usually, these fuckers get away with their racket because legal fees cost more than the impound fee. But these fucks messed with the wrong person. I have the priviledge of working for a great lawyer and I get all the legal advice I need. The HOA and Paxton Towing can go fuck themselves.

Yet, Another Digg Widget

2006-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Another Digg widget for dashboard created by yours truely. This widget offers more digg feeds including 'spy for stories' for all you uber digg-ers. Enjoy!

read more | digg story

New Theme and Happy Christmas

2005-12-24T23:12:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been two months and sixteen days since my last post. Today as you can tell, if you're a returning visitor, I have updated my blog's theme to a custom one made by me. Please leave feedback. I don't have access to Internet Explorer (thank god), so I don't know if my nifty menus work for the majority of you web users. However, it works great under Safari and Firefox. The goal of the theme is to remain minimal. Why would you want a page cluttered with crap when all you want are the words I write?

The theme sports "courier new," the screenwriter's font, however it doesn't match the standard twelve point. Twelve point font is too big and too hideous. For those of you unaware, I'm a screenwriting major at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

This blog used to act as a punching bag to relieve my steam on the idiosyncrasies of society, life, capitalism, whatever. I want to begin chronicling my experience in the field I have chosen. The content will also focus on current events. This blog will serve as an outlet for my writing, which I feel needs desperate improvement. I will try to post once per week, and if I can't I'll post once per month. It really depends on how I feel.

And, since it is Christmas, this new theme will be my gift to you. So, you can never say I never gave you anything. I wish you all a Happy Christmas (or any other holiday you celebrate instead of Christmas) and a Merry New Year (yes, I intentionally mixed up Merry and Happy).

A Short a Week

2005-10-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten around to blogging about the podcast I started, A Short a Week. The concept is simple: a new short film every week. Currently, the podcast is only listed on iTunes because the films are encoded with h.264, and requires Quicktime 7. The cast can be accessed the following ways.

iTunes
RSS Feed

After only 10 days 80 people have subscribed. Currently the subscription is free, and I would prefer keeping it that way. However, I'm a poor college student, and to keep this cast alive, I'm asking listeners to visit the website to make a donation. This makes me feel like PBS, which is okay, I guess.

The $.50 tour

2005-09-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

I've been telling friends that'll I'll post some pics of my new Dorm/Apartment at CSU Northridge. I share this apartment with three other people. I hope you enjoy the 50 cent tour.

This is my desk, nothing special. I took the black and white photos above. Maybe I should sell them, people tend to like them.

This is my small bed. I'm used to a wider bed. I need to get one of those bars to prevent me from rolling off in the middle of the night. They say it's extra long, I would prefer it to be extra wide.

This is where our kitchen would be if we had one. Instead we have a Microwave, Toaster, and Fridge. I keep my bike there too. It makes getting across campus faster.

This is our living room and our crappy furniture. You can't really get comfortable in those chairs. The walls are bare too. The room is rarely used.

This is our dining table we rarely use. The food here was not meant for royalty, but we still eat it.

iPod Accessories and iPod in the Car

2005-08-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

As part of my recent purchase from Apple, I got a free iPod (rebate still pending). The other day I started browsing items I could accessorize my iPod with. The natural place to start would be Apple's online store. In taking a quick glance, I saw that many of the cheaper items start around $19.00 (USD). For instance, they charge that for a cheap lanyard that cost less than $1 (again USD) to produce. What is up with that major markup?

A few days ago I hooked my iPod up to my car stereo. It rocks! And, I didn't have to use an FM transmitter, which starts at 34.95. But, I did have to buy an adapter, one that costs roughly the same, to convert RCA to IP Bus that plugs into my Pioneer Deck. Now I have my entire music collection everywhere I drive.

I'm just posting to say the iPod is great, however I'll never buy an iPod Accessory. The prices aren't worth it. I can get by without socks for iPod. If anybody has a place for cheaper iPod Accessories, please post them.

Windows is for Gamers!

2005-08-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a good buddy of mine, who was complaining how his computer has been screwing up (it's a windows PC). I started talking to him about how Macs are a great alternative. I'm not trying to be one of those Mac addicts who must convert everyone they see, Apple has a whole chain of stores for that. His main excuse for not going mac was games, thus I conclude Windows is for gamers, while Macs are for people who want to be productive. I know I bought my mac for Final Cut Pro and all the other great apps from Apple. My opinion on windows users has drastically changed from this brief conversation. I no longer will listen to windows users, all they do is waste time playing games. I cannot think of one great app that exists solely on the PC, except for the many games that are PC only. Just an interesting thought. I invite other people to post and prove me wrong. Are there great apps that exist solely for the PC, if so what are they?

P.S. and by PC I mean the Windows world.

What's Wrong With This Picture

2005-08-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to nit pick, but what's up with this image? Can you tell? It's the middle picture that bothers me. It does not accurately portray the customer service at an Apple Retail store. How could they let a crippled grandma push a heavy load of computers out to her car. This image is from Apple's updated switch site. Maybe I'm crazy and I'm over analyzing it, but that picture just bothers me.

Back on the Mac

2005-08-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

After a little less than a year I'm finally back on the Mac, and it feels great! I currently have my other notebook listed on eBay, and I can't wait to mail it. Apple is great, not only did I get a great computer, I got a free iPod (rebate pending). Transferring everything from PC to Mac isn't exactly easy. Outlook and Apple apps don't get along well (Outlook Calendar -> iCal, Outlook Contacts to Address Book, and Outlook Mail -> Mail). Other than that my switch is complete, and I can finally look forward to happy computing days once again.

P.S. For those who care, I bought a new iBook. I don't have enough $$$ for a powerbook.

Windows Programmers = Shitty Software

2005-07-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Today I visited download.com, a website that provides links to software available for download, some free some not. I browsed the web site only to realize that all the programs are crap. I shouldn't harass the software because they didn't do anything wrong, I should harass the shitty programmers for creating this utter crap. This problem spurs mainly from windows programmers. Windows programmers are useless pieces of shit that take no consideration for GUI design and system integration, unlike Mac programmers. I will highlight several programs and discuss why they are shit.

Konfabulator:
Desktop widgets are great providing relevant information at the press of a button, but konfabulator has been beat by Dashboard, Apple's remake. Konfabulator was great when nothing else existed, but the widgets in their widget gallery suck. The only integration seems to be with iTunes (another great piece from Apple). The problem with Konfabulator widgets is that when you try to retrieve info from the web, all it does is open another browser window, as if you couldn't have done that yourself.

AIM (AOL Instant Messenger)
Shitty for display ads on the contact list window, and not being able to customize aliases for your buddies (because most of them suck for using characters like ==,++,:-),##). These two items are fixed with the latest AIM Triton (their beta version), but the aliases are surrounded by quotation marks, suggesting they're a magazine article or some other minor work of literature.

Windows 1.0 - Windows Vista (longhorn AKA long delay)
Windows has always been crap. First it enables programmers with less than a high school diploma to create shitty useless software. Third party integration sucks with it and other Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, due to the lack of API's. Security is weaker than an open gated prison. Every time you install another shitty program, you get files placed all over your drive, including systems folders. Finally it spawned narcissist Paul Thurott, who admires Windows and Microsoft to the point of retardation.

Now you might be wondering who am I, a film student, to be judging these pieces of crap. Well, before I decide to pursue a career in film, I was a computer programmer. I decided to change my course because I didn't want to be stuck in a 4x4 cube eight hours a day. Most film makers use the Mac, and being a future film maker, I will be using the Mac. Soon I will dispose of this useless HP crap machine for another Macintosh. I can't wait.

Movie Remakes

2005-07-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hollywood is running out of ideas and the people who make features know this. Lately they've been stating they're not remaking the movie, but they're remaking the same book the original movie was adapted from. Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp have both said this about they're summer flicks. I would have to agree with Gene Wilder's statement: "Why would they remake 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'?" I think classics like this and 'War of the Worlds' should be left alone. Soon you'll be seeing remakes of the 'Wizard of Oz', 'Mary Poppins', and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'. Is there not one original idea left in Hollywood? I guess I'll find out once I start studying screenwriting at CSU Northridge this fall (don't worry I won't be a sell-out).

Video is not Film

2005-06-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been hearing a lot about high school students and their "film" projects. Their schools like to mislead people by saying these students use film, the cellulose acetate strips that have images burnt into them, when in actuality these students use DV tape. Film and Video are two different monsters. It saddens me, as a film student, to be grouped with these phonies. Film is not Video. It requires development unlike video. Film is more expensive, so you have to make your shots count, unlike video where you can capture a shot over a preexisting crappy shot.

I feel all these videos are ruining film as an art. It's like making photography available to consumers. What bothers me, is if the quality of HD video passes Film. Right now film is a higher contrast ratio, and it has the grain, which most videographers like to mimic in post.

I guess these amateurs are starting to be bothersome. Nuff said.

A Tiff with HP

2005-06-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

It seems HP does not like to honor the warrenties for their products; it's nice seeing a company stand behind their products. It all started with my firewire port not working on my DV1000 Pavillion Notebook. I called up HP and was quickly passed off to three different reps before being helped.

After talking to the "tech guru", we decided to send my notebook in for repair. Luckily, I saved the original packaging, because unlike Apple, they don't send you a box. They received it and a few days later, a rep called and said the warrenty was void, eventhough it was last November I bought it. She said it would cost $280 dollars to fix (about 1/4 I paid for the notebook). I said hell no, and to ship the notebook.

Anyways, HP has lost my business. I won't even buy a printer from them. I can't wait for Apple's transition to Intel is over, then I'll switch back to mac.

2005-05-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

A wave crashing on the shore, this photo along with the others were taken with Velvia 100, an awesome type of film that's expensive to develop.

2005-05-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

This was a fake wedding on the beach. The film/video crew is on the other side of the rock with white boards for bouncing light.

2005-05-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

A sea gull looking into the camera.

2005-05-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

Only two hours of parking in La Jolla, except for sunday.

2005-05-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

A random restaruant in La Jolla.

In a Letter From CSUN

2005-03-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

"It is indeed a pleasure to inform you that you are eligible for admission for the Fall 2005 semester at California State University, Northridge." ... "We are pleased that you have chosen to attend California State University, Northridge, and trust that your enrollment here will be both rewarding and enjoyable."

It's been months since my last post, so I thought I'd post a postive entry.

Internet: The 'I' is for Intrusive

2004-12-20T08:49:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or has internet advertising become more and more intrusive. I remember the day when ads consisted of animated gifs with dimensions of 240x64 pixels. Now you have ads created with flash, sound, even video. Yahoo is becoming the worst. I used to have My Yahoo as the default start page, until Walmart placed an ad there that expands to take up the entire page. That is just annoying! I had to switch back to Google.

I was browsing Forbes the other day looking at some financial articles. Suddenly, music was coming from the website, interfering with the MP3 I had playing. It took a minute to locate the ad, on the bottom of the page, and mute it. The music was coming from a Kodak ad, not that Kodak has anything to do with sound. Last time I checked they were a photo company.

I know these ads will never go away. Maybe somebody should invent an internet that is ad free, kind of like XM Radio. I would pay an extra ten dollars a month to avoid intrusive ads.

San Diego @ Night

2004-12-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

This photo of San Diego was, of course, taken at night. I don't know why so many people feel they need to use flashes at night. This photo was take with a long exposure.

Biggest Loser is a Loser

2004-11-24T09:02:00.000-08:00

Just saw the reality show, The Biggest Loser, for the first and last time. It's great how NBC is paying for a diet for these people, but not when they mean to profit from their obesity. It is shameful. But, the characters on the show are dumb, especially the red team. Every episode the total weight lost for the teams are compared each week. The team that loses the least loses a team member. The red team booted Dave, the member who lost over half of the collected value. That team is screwed. They should of kicked off that girl who lost nothing. What bunch of arrogant fatties!

A Vote for Nader...

2004-10-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

A vote for Ralph Nader is not a vote for Bush. Democrats are arrogant for thinking this. Republicans can say the same thing. A vote for Nader is a vote for Kerry. The democrats only say this because they are sour they lost the last election. Currently, neither canidate has won my vote. Bush wastes too much money on initatives that never are realized, while Kerry is too wishy washy.

After the recent debate, Nader has my vote. He has my vote because he will not win. If Nader was a popular canidate, he would not have my vote. We disagree on some important issues. One such issues is Iraq. He thinks it would be benifical to immediately terminate the occupation. This would be unwise. It would add more instability to an already unstable environment. After toppling a regime or government, the winning force should be required to restore peace. By retreating and letting the UN, who didn't want to invade to begin with, control the occupation is distrubing. They don't have the motivation needed for this task.

Concerning health care, the government should only regulate it, not provide it. It's the responsibilty of the citizens to purchase and pay health insurance, including senior citizens. A constant problem with the US Government is it's overwhelming desire to reduce the effects of a problem instead of fixing the problem. The leading cause of the death is Heart Disease. Heart Disease can be cured through educating citizens of the proper diet. Education is the key to everything.

Which, brings me to the next issue, education. The American education system is pathetic. There are fewer and fewer college students, and more and more schools that are under funded. There needs to be a reverse of this, or America will become a retail society, with the bulk of the workforce working retail, selling goods imported from other countries. There should be an equal distribution of funds to schools, to provide an equal education. Equal education promotes an equal opportunity society.

Back to the topic at hand. Although, both the republican and democratic candidates are qualified for the job, neither of them have my vote. There is no perfect canidate. Kerry keeps saying "I have a plan," but plans never work out. With Bush's record, I would not like to see him have a second term. I'll probably vote Nader next month, or Cobbs or Badnarik if they get out of prision in time.

There's the time!

2004-10-04T18:28:00.010-07:00

Having to cut my hours at work sucks and is great, at the same time. I'll get my tuition waved next year by making very little, and for the next few months that's what I'll have, very little. But, in the meantime I'll actually have time to write a screenplay. The creative juices on my current script are overflowing. The overall concept for the script has morphed several times already, but this happens all the time with me. I have so many thoughts I need to put on paper, or into Final Draft. It is weird having time. After I finish the script, it is going to suck. I'll feel like a complete loser for having too much time on my hands. I'll feel like a lazy unaccomplished ass.

time, where is time!

2004-09-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

Amazing, where as the time gone. Now that my time is slowing down I can actually post a post to this forgotten blog. Even I forgotten its existence. It appears my boredom vanished shortly after the first post. the past few months have been exciting and unfortunate. In the realm of school I almost feel overwhelmed, probably because it is taking away from my screenwriting. In the realm of work, well work just sucks.

My B&W Photo class, although providing a wealth of new information, isn't going well. I suck at non-digital photos, nuff said. My psych class is like watching grass grow, same with my math class. The only interesting class is Intro to Radio and Television, which unfortunately just covers the history. I can't wait for next semester when I'll be taking Motion Picture Production, where I'll be shooting several shorts I've written.

My current job sucks, I'll have to apply to some jobs at KUSI, a local television station. I already know some of the folks there by working the Jumbotron at Qualcomm Stadium with them. I'm working with them again next weekend at the Aztec's game. I'll try to get in then. By the way, working the jumbotron is a blast. Last time there was an audience of 57,000. I was right on the sideline. If I took two steps I would have been standing on the playing field.

That is all the news for now, I must be bored for doing this. I'll post another post in a few months. Until then enjoy your life, I know I will.