So I get a take-home essay for my philosophy of math class. It's an... interesting course, I don't really understand what's happening in it and the professor is straight out of central casting: earing, black turtleneck, sipping coffee etc. Anyway, I hand it in, I'm none to confident in it and then go off to break. I get it back this week. 6.5/8. Hey, that's an A, that's good... then I pan down...
WTF? How could I get such a low mark? Then I read his comments again. Wait? Was that true? Yes. Yes it was:
So I think I'm going to drop the course. I have until friday to do so without it hitting me academically. Quite frankly there's no reason for me to keep it: I don't need it to graduate, I don't particularly enjoy it and it'll fuck up my average. So now, I guess, I have 3 free hours a week (plus all the reading and writing peripherals).
Also, you really should spend a minute and watch this smackdown (BH.TV).
I haven't seen any of you guys since Halloween. Seriously a sad situation.
I've become a terrible hermit. Maybe it's just the winter months that have done it to me, but I'm just not motivated enough to venture further south than Yorkdale (with the notable exception of LA, Cali.). Mostly work has kept me from exploring this thing called "life," but it's had its perks.
As mentioned, I went to LA for work (again) just before reading week. It was only for 24 hours though (Friday and Saturday), but I didn’t have to pay for anything (except for a cab… which are really expensive in LA, by the way)! Warner Brothers and Fox Searchlight teamed up to pay for a dozen or so student journalists (two from Canada, myself and a dude who writes for the U of T paper – sorry Ryersonian! Better luck next time suckers!) to come to LA for a couple of press conferences. We were there to see The Namesake and 300.
The Namesake stars Kal Penn (of Harold and Kumar go to White Castle infamy) and I got to interview him while in LA. Nice enough guy. Held up my group interview because he had to pee (or poo, he didn't specify). He adamantly denies that the character he plays in the film (Gogol) is going through an identity crisis. Either way it doesn't matter, because the movie is not really about him, its about his parents (Indian actors from Bollywood) who completely carried the film.
300 is pretty much exactly what the previews make it look. Some dude with a 6-foot beard and a small army of 300 (that looks much more like 30 onscreen) kicking the ass of a bunch of Persian heathens. Oh, and they throw around a few pedastry jokes about the Greeks (a group which Frank Miller possible forgot the Spartans belonged to?). They also threw babies off cliffs (now I don't have to study for my ancient history exam on Thursday).
For 300 I (and a slew of other student journalists) interviewed Zack Snyder (dir.), Rodrigo Santoro (hot, hot, hot! Brazilian who plays Xerxes - would you believe that he had to wax all that off for the part?) and Gerard Butler (the Phantom, anyone? He plays Leonides in 300). Zack was a very cool, buff little film geek. Rodrigo (so hot. He was in that Baz Luhrmann directed Chanel No.5 commercial with Nicole Kidman in it - "her kiss, her smile, her perfume!") was really earnest and passionate about film and acting. Gerard was this crazy, energetic, passionate and awesome Scottish dude who kept jumping around and cracking jokes and making all of the nervous film geek reporters drool. I loved the whole thing. This is completely what I want to do for the rest of my life. Just chat it up with insane artists. Seriously the best part of the job.
Another awesome part is the completely swank hotel they put me up in. There was a TV in the bathroom and a minibar from which I could take ANYTHING from because it was all COMPED! When I arrived there I was so nervous and jet lagged that I felt like crap that’s been run over by a Hummer, so I just chilled out and watched the plasma TV from my impossibly comfy bed in their cashmere-like bath robe while waiting for room service to bring up by $20 salad. What the fuck do rich people have to complain about?
Okay, I've spent way too much time going on about this trip. I guess that’s because I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF YOU SINCE HALLOWEEN! Anyway, if anyone is planning on attending any Canadian Music Week stuff I might be able to see you there. I'm trying to get accredited for it so if you are, let me know!