Sadtimes in Scott Town
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Bon Jovi's "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead"
okay not really.

i came into work today, made my way to the kitchen, and found not one, but two pots of cold coffee. someone forgot to brew a fresh pot. i swore under my breath "sad times strike Scott Town," but then i remembered . . .

today's our anniversary! four years ago today Kelly and I shared our first kiss. awww . . . and now we're getting married -- December 18th! mark your calender! to commemorate this day, i will share our first picture together. i took it on the porch of my cabin (Cherokee!) at camp:

also, if you have seven minutes free, check out this exclusive Internet teaser-trailer for Cameron Crowe's latest film, "Elizabethtown," starring Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom. i love Cameron Crowe's flicks. his style is one that i connect to and would love to emulate within my own. his connection with human emotion is astounding. be sure to check it out. and if you have no idea who Cameron Crowe is, go watch "Almost Famous."

When the Cake is Stale
Mood:  chatty
Now Playing: Foo Fighter's "Still"

MU-WAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! i got the last of the birthday cake! even if it had completely dried out and the only redeeming factor it had was that it took the bite out of the bitterly black coffee i was sipping on, i got the last piece! ENVY ME!!

this ends Scott's power trip of the day. tune in tomorrow when he robs the offering plate, accusing church goers they owe him ten percent of their income.

we're shooting a voice over test today for the IVF DVD. i have to convince the powers that be that i do know what i'm doing and that my casting decisions can be trusted.

pre-production on the first of the short films is nearing completion. we have a dramatic and gymnastic rehearsal on Monday and then we begin shooting on Tuesday! wish us luck!

pray for Ripple Productions. we're going through a defining (or re-defining, depending on who you talk to). the next couple of weeks are going to be very, very big for Ripple as we make decisions about where we're headed.

Have a great weekend!
-Scott "Carb Conquistador" Fogg

Magic Hour
Mood:  cheeky
Now Playing: Chris Gaines' "Right Now"

i can't explain it. it's just a natural occurance. but it doesn't matter how tired i was, how little sleep i received the night before, but when i hit 10am, i wake up and life is good.

i love when we have birthdays in the office. once a month, we celebrate everyone who was born that month. we buy a huge cake and have it at lunch. they always buy a cake that is half chocolate and half . . . white -- vanilla, i guess? sugary frosting, the whole nine yards. the cake is so big that no matter how big they cut it, there's always cake left over. that cake sits in the kitchen, waiting for someont to consume it or at least keep it company. during the "birthday week," as i like to call it, i come into work, pour myself a cup of coffee, and have a slice of cake. there are much worse ways to start a day.

i'm about to buzz outta the office, i have much to do and less time to do it in. i have to sort out costuming for "Respect," i have to make sure the actors can make it to rehearsal, have to coordinate transportation of our lights, have to test the lights and have to go down to Tenessee Temple to inspect their theatre, as we may be moving our venue there -- they at least want us to perform That You May Believe there. we shall see.

The Reports of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Jan Hammer's "Crockett's Theme" from the "Miami Vice" score

you may caught this, i just wanted to let all my fans (both of you) know that i'm in litigation to clear this misunderstanding up. i'm not dead.

:) isn't that great? if you'd like to see your name in the headlines, click here and then click on "newspaper prank." follow the directions and soon you'll be facing a gristly death!

enjoy!

Red Light, Green Light
Mood:  sharp
Now Playing: Kylie Minogue's "Love At First Sight"

the film industry is a very stop and go process. so much so it can drive ya' nuts. take right now for example. last week, my life was a whirlwind as i raced to finish the script for the IVF video. now that it's finished, i wait. i wait for script approval, i wait for casting decisions to be made, i wait for people to get back in touch with me. there's little to nothing i can do right now. but that could all change in the matter of a moment, when someone walks in and says "we have her, let's do it." and BAM! i'm off. this is why i stagger and layer my projects, so when i'm waiting on something to happen, i still have something i can be doing. there's still scripts that need to be written, costumes that need to be found, and actors that need to be contacted.

which is where i'm at right now. i'm waiting till 10am to call anyone, as it is summer and if these actors i'm wanting to call don't have a job, it's just mean to call them before then.

i watched "A Love Song for Bobby Long" yesterday. if you enjoyed Lost in Translation, you'll dig this flick. i did. it takes place in New Orleans and it has a lethargic melancholy to the whole picture that i really enjoyed. there's also a subtly to it that i appreciated.

anyway, gonna go inject another round of coffee into the veins and make some phone calls, ta-ta!

My Parents' Study Buddy
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: Matchbox 20's "Real World"

as i burn the Batman Begins soundtrack, i thought i'd go ahead and do my daily update dance.

oh, right. you can't see that. well it's a sight to behold, believe you me.

i finished watching "Firefly" last night. i have the box set -- having purchased it after renting the first disc of the set from Netflix. it make me sad that quality programming gets cancelled after a dozen or so episodes when we have long-running crap still filling the airwaves. it was, simply put, a highly imaginitive television show that got cancelled before it could even finish its first season. if you like westerns, sci-fi, or Joss Whedon's work, this has your name written all over it. this September, "Serenity," a movie based on this show, is coming out, so i'll see you at the movies. or you'll see me. either way, i'll be seeing it in the theatre.

it's a very strange time and place to be when you're helping your parents with their homework. my dad is taking a class that has peppered with various computer programs (Word, Power Point, Excel, and now Dreamweaver) and i've been the "go-to" person for help in these. my mom calls me up:

"hey, you know web design."

"barely."

"but you have a website."

"yeah, but it's Angelfire," i say, not bringing the Fertility Center's website into the discussion.

"Angelfire?" she repeats. "Is that like Dreamweaver?"

"Yes," I roll my eyes, "that's exactly where I was going with that statement."

"Well good then, think you can come over and help him after work?"

so i did. i've helped him with his other projects too, and i've realized that i'm just not cut-out to be a computer progamming teacher. sorry. maybe if the subject was screenwriting . . .

oh hey, Batman Begins is done burning. time for me to go label the tracks. tootles!

The Magdalene Sisters visit Philadelphia
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: James Horner's "The Fencing Lesson" from his score for "The Mask of Zorro"

wow. two incredibly sobering movies in one weekend. i need to learn to pace myself better. the first was an Irish film called "The Magdalene Sisters." it's the true story about the laundries that were run by the Catholic church in Ireland that "fallen women" were sent to that they might atone for their "sins." the other film i took in might as well have been a true story, it played like one. it was Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington's "Philadelphia." i had never seen it and it was way beyond time for me to watch it. amazing performances all 'round. my only wish is i wish they had ended the courtroom part of it more conclusively. with the evidence provided both in and out of court, i'm not convinced the men who fired him fired him out of their bigotry. yes, they were bigots. bigots enough to fire him? i dunno.

spent last night watching "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour" with Marshall (my little brother) and doing some photoshop work for Alyssa Bonagura. she recently had a photo shoot and she wasn't pleased with her pictures and asked me to touch up a couple of them:

i know, i know. you see one of Scott's collages, you've seen them all. well, to the two of you who are reading this, GET. OVER. IT.

have a meeting with David Rodney this afternoon. he's a local talent agent -- have i told you this before? we're gonna get together and discuss how we might be mutually beneficial for one another.

i have two (count 'em, two!) softball games tonight. better go hit the batting cages.

Paying Bills Sucks
Mood:  spacey
Now Playing: Flogging Molly's "Drunken Lullabies"
i got paid yesterday and already 75% of check is gone and on nothing fun, mind you (well, except Jaws and Hitch). bills and groceries. seriously friggin' sucks. i remind myself it won't be this bad next month because several of the bills i had to pay were one-time things, like down payments and safety deposits. like today, for example. opened my electicity bill, because, you know, i had to pay it. i was expecting something in 30-40$ range, but oh no, it was 200$ due a 150$ security deposit i had to make (for electricity?!), a start-up fee and then all the electricity i used this month. i get the 150$ back when i close the account, but daaaaaaamnn that sucks.

about to nod off at the keyboard, and it's only 10:34am. this has been the week that won't quit. yesterday morning i finished the script for a video i'm shooting for the center, an introduction to IVF and yesterday afternoon i began shooting it. i had to interview one of the doctors as he's leaving for a three-week vacation on Wednesday and there's no other time between now and then we'll be able to sit down. i'm trying to cast the roles of "concerned IVF patients" and i think i've found the right woman for it, but she's uncomfortable with the instructional half of the project, where we show people how to inject themselves with the medication. so now i'm looking for a body double who's okay with us injecting their stomach and right bum cheek.

Brian and i did some light tests last night and we're going to shoot 10:1 - Respect at night . . . or we're going to hang mad, thick curtains up over the doors to keep any natural light out.

okay. the boss isn't looking. i'm going to curl up under my new desk and take a nap.

keep it down, okay?

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."
Mood:  loud
Now Playing: U2's "All Because of You"

that quote, the title of this entry, is a direct quote from Batman Begins, which i took in last night. great movie. amazing movie. the best "origin tale" to date. Kelly (my fiance) thinks its the best superhero movie to date, though Spider-Man 2 still holds that position in my opinion, just because i like it better. but that line, that quote up there, is something Bats says near the end of the flick and it's stuck with me ever since, because it's so true.

people are always complaining "people don't see me for who i am, who i am underneath all this, who i am down here," but you are what you do. maybe that sounds too much like defining yourself by your job, but that's not what i'm talking about. if you mistreat people, or if you're a jerk or if you're the quitest, meekest person on earth, that is YOU. if you're not happy with the way people perceive you, then be the person you want to be! embrace who you are and be the person you were born to be!

it just had a profound effect on me, i guess because it was coming from a guy in black rubber. who knows.

if you haven't seen BB (not Black Beauty), see it. see it now. turn off your computer, get up, grab your keys and wallet, get to the theatre, and go see it. now.

Holy Sculpted Rubber Suits, Batman!
Mood:  energetic
Now Playing: John Ottman's score for "X-Men 2"
sign it's gonna be a good day #1: you walk into work and your boss apologizes for biting your head off yesterday for a mistake you didn't make, he made and he's now realized it was his mistake and is taking responsibility. -sniff, sniff- they grow up so fast . . .

sign it's gonna be a good day #2: a Christopher Nolan film starring Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Katie Holmes, and Michael Caine opens that also just so happens to be an adaptation of one of the best comic book heroes of all time.

to mark the Batman resurrection (after Schumacher killed it and continued to beat the poor dead horse -- seriously, have you seen Batman & Robin? i know it's easy to make fun of it, but my goodness that movie is bad! and i love Schumacher's work! Phantom of the Opera? Phonebooth? what happened man?) , i have decided to write a mini-column on everything superheroes have ever taught me.

Batman

we'll start with Bats because it's his big day. the message that Batman brings to us is a very simple one, in my opinion. because he has no superpowers, Batman really comes to represent who you or i could become. maybe we don't have Wayne manor or Wayne Enterprises and the millions of dollars it brings Bruce, but the point is Bruce uses what natural resources he has to be the best he can be. the Bible would call him a good steward. me and you, we have things at our disposal that we can use to better the lives of those around us. that's what the caped and cowled crusader taught me.

Superman

might as well talk about the other DC character i know and love before i move back to my home territory of Marvel characters. Superman has a special place in my heart because his was the first movie i remember seeing and the first movie i watched so many times i wore out the VHS tape and could quote the entire movie (soon to be followed by Return of the Jedi). the cynic in me looks at Superman and scoffs that he's just the commercialization of Jesus Christ, but there's something to the "Boy Scout" that i still love and admire, and if nothing else, it's his convictions. different writers have done different things to him, sometimes poking fun of his "truth, justice, and the American way" of doing things, some have really painted him hokey. but here is what is basically a demigod who refuses to kill. who refuses to use his powers for his own personal gain. the man in practically invincible, but does he have plans for world domination? nope. he just wants to be himself, live a life with Lois, and help those in need. that's who he has always been and who he continues to this day. sticking to what you believe in, while still allowing room for growth, is something we could all use a little more of.

X-Men

here's a book i have to admit i've always loved but never read. i've been reading the Ultimate book and loving it and i've recently begun reading the Astonishing line (yay Joss Whedon!) and i absolutely loved the movies. that being said, there's also so many muties running around the X-Men universe that it is absolutely impossible to count them all. out of any comic book series, the X-books are probably the most convoluted and hardest series to break into. you practically have to know their entire history to understand any one of their stories. very frustrating. that being said, what i dig about the X-books is the team unity, how they all work together, how they each have such diverse powers but combine them to work together for good. we (like the X-Men) are born with unique abilities (maybe you can't shoot an optic beam out of your eyes or maybe you can, i don't know) that we can use anyway we want. how will you use the abilities God has given you? selfish gain, for His kingdom or for the betterment of man? it's your choice.

Spider-Man

Superman might have captured my imagination but Spider-Man sculpted it. if Superman is a Greek god, Spider-Man is a Greek tragedy. it would be easy for me to simply quote "with great power comes great responsibility," as that is the main theme of both the books and and the movies, but there's something else in the Spider-books that keeps me coming back (for those of you only vaguely aware of my life, Spider-Man is my all time favorite). i love his sense of humour. i love that's he's just a regular shmoe. but as a character, what i love about him most is his perseverance. even when his Uncle Ben is killed or Gwen Stacy is killed, he perseveres. he keeps fighting the good fight, because he has been given these powers, and he has a responsibility that he must uphold.

then, of course, are the little side lessons: blondes are cool but will sleep with your arch-nemesis, spawning super-powered children who will try to kill you and/or have sex with you. redheads are infinitely cooler (or hotter, depending on your personal jargon) than blondes. if your best friend's father tries to kill you, chances are, your best friend will end up wanting to kill you too.

All The Others . . .

i could go on and talk about the folks of Sin City, talk about Daredevil, DangerGirl, Wonder Woman, the Crow, Captain America, the Hulk, Darkhawk, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the new superheroes on the the block (or are they just rip-offs?), The Incredibles, but you get the idea. i've always believed you can learn something from anything, and there is much to learn in this world.

but i should go now. i think my boss is going to start wondering why so little is getting done in my office this morning.

Excelsior!