Many Things

Let me, at the start, apologize for both the length of time since the last post and, the subsequent length of the coming post:

Art Dept=fun

I love working on movies. I get to meet the most interesting people and have so much fun. The movie that I'm currently interning on has, a great script, a cool cast, an amazing Production Designer and set dresser, cool coworkers and no budget. Fears were flying recently over whether or not we'd be able to continue. Apparently the British film investment laws have just changed and so, at the moment, would-be investors are very leary. This film is now walking a fine line-the current budget is small; best to fold or best to really amp up the budget? I'm hoping it's the latter cuz it really is an awesome script and I would like to see it made. The cast has been reasonably settled and, happily, amongst some stars that are big here, are also Jim Broadbent and Helena Bonham Carter. Hopefully, with a cast now, investors will be more ready to, uh, invest.

My boss, Michael Howells, is amazing. He's a very accomplished man but still takes the time to teach us and joke around, etc. Yesterday, for about an hour, he went over his portfolio with me. HOLY SHIT! The man has designed numerous films, is currently working on (with our help), the Christmas designs for the Selfridges window displays (like Barney's in NY), is the designer for Dior's, Versace's and Louis Vuitton's advertising, designed Kate Moss' famous The Beautiful and the Damned 30th Birthday party, and much more. Yet, he still cares about his interns and assistants and really tries to have fun and help us. It's really amazing to me that I get to work with such accomplished people.

Steel

Telesales sucks but I'm doin' ok. I've sold a few subscriptions and have a few coming up. Most importantly though, I work with cool people here also. The other night, I found myself at a pub with, 2 girls from Slovakia, a Bulgarian guy, a Chinese guy, coupla Brits, a Russian woman, a Brazilian guy, Italian girl, and a South African dude. Of course, because I'm me and forever interested in all things political, conversations did include topics such as: the velvet revolution, degradation of Bulgarian money, Vaclav Havel, racism against Gypsies, and current EU situations. Of course we also talked about US relations with the world. Nice pub talk. Naturally, we also had more mundane/standard discussions. It's cool to be around such diverse experience. Also, after a week of caring about steel and the customers, I think that I've finally reached that place where the it's-just-a-job-and-I-never-have-to-meet-these-people mentality has come into play. It's about bloody time! There were, again because I'm me and think about such things, many thoughts that went like this: "Do I care about steel? What if I don't? Does that mean that I have a poor work ethic? Do I care if I care?" I'm ruff!

Other Stuff

I've just finished reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and for those wondering, yes, it is! I think that this book needs to be required reading for life. If you haven't yet, please begin reading it immediately or make plans to do so soon.

Rach and I have spent the evening reading rough religious/conservative/southern blogs. I have no problem with faith or religion generally, it's just not for me. What I do have a problem with however, is the people that proclaim their faith, merely as some sort-of badge. Why must they forever be telling people how religious they are? It was first funny but then it got a little disturbing. One guy went so far as to post a voice recording of his struggles with "not doing those things that I know He doesn't want me to, even though I know that I do want to do them which makes me kind of not want to do them because this is His life." When religion keeps you from living your life or, as expected in this situation, from coming out of the closet, what's the use? Religion as life controlling force is so sketchy. Organized religion in general is rather sketchy.

Anyway, I've rambled long enough. Later ya'll. Please view Anna M's newspaper debut with this movie review. Also, here's a pic of one of Rachel's classmates; the ruffest individual, G: