Current mood:	blah
Current music:	Adrian Belew - 1967

state your destination
no surprises here. week of sept 18-25:
VHS or Beta - 30
Metrc - 22
Diamond Nights - 18
Burnside Project - 17
Neon Blonde - 16
odd modern - 13
Velvet Underground - 11
Architecture in Helsinki - 11
The Hold Steady - 9
Junior Senior - 8
Q and Not U - 8

i listed eleven bands because there was a tie for number ten.

workload has been intensity, but i'm enjoying the hell out of it, even though my right index finger (read: most used finger in the history of me) is still calloused and sore.
tommorrow evening, i'm taking a brief break from the breakneck pace of senior year graphic design to go on my first real date with my new girlfriend. we're gonna get dinner and then see Serenity downtown. i'm simultaneously relieved by the fact that its going to happen and kinda worried about what will come as a result of it...and stuff.

my writing the graphic narrative teacher said i should go ahead and take the graphic storytelling class next semester (the two classes work together. in this one we write scripts for comics and in the other they work on illustrating the scripts.) and that i have no problems conveying imagery in my scripts, which is a problem alot of other people are having (when i read the scripts posted online, i notice alot more problems than just that, but i know my stuff is far from perfect) and that he'd really like to see me flesh out a script for a full-fledged comic or graphic novel or whatever during the second half of the semester. that made me feel good. i had a really hard time pinning down what story i wanted to write this week. it had to be an autobiographical story, and every one i could think of was either sort of uninteresting, pretentious, or too personal. i finally decided to write about the first time i spoke in plenary in model congress, which alot of people think is a pretty good story, even though nothing happens.
anyway, here's the script for anyone interested in reading:


FRUITS AND VEGETABLES by Derrick Sanskrit KC

PAGE ONE:
PANEL ONE: High school auditorium, approximately 150 students from different schools throughout the tri-county area are in the seats. One the stage there is a long table, where three students sit with gavels and piles of paper (these three people are the chairs. we probably wonít be able to make them out in this panel, but theyíre there for reference in the rest of the story) and a podium with a microphone.
NARRATION BOX: OCEANSIDE MODEL CONGRESS, 1999:
SPEECH BALLOON ANON. KID AT PODIUM: We should allow homosexuals to be marriedÖ
PANEL TWO: Podium and random high school student behind it speaking.
SPEECH BALLOON: Ötheir rights have been denied for far too longÖ
PANEL THREE: Same panel, only with a different kid behind the podium.
SPEECH BALLOON: Öthe Bible says man may not lay with another manÖ
PANEL FOUR: Same, with another student.
SPEECH BALLOON: Öso what if a guy likes kissing other guys? We donít seem to mind watching two girls kissÖ
PANEL FIVE: Same, with another student.
SPEECH BALLOON: Öthis nation is run by Christians, and they wonít legalize something they believe to be a mortal sinÖ

PAGE TWO:
PANEL ONE: View from the stage of the students in the seats. About ten rows back are Derrick and his friends. Derrick has long brown hair, just below his shoulders, and is wearing a Hawaiian shirt, his typical look that whole year. Most people in the crowd appear to be quite bored hearing the same arguments over and over.
SPEECH BALLOON (from behind podium, off-panel): Öweíve supported equality through the races, ages, and sexes. Now we need to support equality for sexual preferencesÖ
PANEL TWO: Same image, but a little tighter in on Derrick and his friends.
SPEECH BALLOON (from behind podium, off-panel): Öits not that I donít support gay marriage, its that America as a whole will never support itÖ
PANEL THREE: Same, tighter.
SPEECH BALLOON (from behind podium, off-panel): Öwhat makes those two guys any different from me and my boyfriend?Ö
PANEL FOUR: Same, tight on Derrick.
SPEECH BALLOON (from behind podium, off-panel): Öwhatís the big deal anywayÖ
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Okay, this is boring. Itís the same argument back and forth. Letís hear something new.
PANEL FIVE: View from the audience of the chairsí table. One chair slams their gavel and speaks as the student who had been speaking behind the podium walks away from the podium.
SOUND EFFECT: CLAK!
SPEECH BALLOON CHAIR: The speakerís time has elapsed. We will now recognizeÖ
PANEL SIX: Same panel, only the speaker on stage has now left the stage and Derrickís hand has sprung up in the extreme foreground. The chairs look out and seem to see his hand.
PANEL SEVEN: Same panel, except the chair speaking points toward the outstretched hand with their gavel.
SPEECH BALLOON CHAIR: The long-haired representative from Long Beach.

PAGE THREE:
SPLASH PAGE: Derrick walking down the aisle between all of the other students towards the stage. His body language is somewhere between sheepishness and unwarranted confidence. Put the title and other such information on this page.

PAGE FOUR:
PANEL ONE: Derrick steps behind the podium and the microphone suspends awkwardly close to his face. He is looking downward, having suddenly lost the air of confidence for a moment.
SPEECH BALLOON CHAIR (off-panel): The speaker has three minutes.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Thank you.
PANEL TWO: Same panel, only Derrick is looking up and out, towards the audience.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: So hereís the thingÖ
PANEL THREE: Large panel with lots of space for a series of connected balloons. Profile view of Derrick leaning on the podium towards the audience and people looking up at him passively.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: When they try to teach you about America in the third grade, they tell you itís a melting pot, that people come in from all over the world and that we all just melt right in, that all of our cultures and our customs blend together to make one great big America stew.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Well, in my hometown, there are a whole bunch of bodegas and shops where they donít even speak English. Those stores are no good to me, so I never shop there.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Thatís no melting pot. Their culture isnít mixing with mine, so we stay separated.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: The other analogy they tell you is that America is a salad bowl; we each maintain our individual flavors and qualities, but when you group all of them together, they just taste good, and goddammit, salad is good for you too. Hell, itís the first thing they serve at basically every restaurant, isnít it?
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Yeah, that sounds about right. We all keep our own flavor but they all work together. Okay, so weíre a salad bowl. Can we agree on that?
PANEL FOUR: Same view as panels 1 and 2. Derrick turns his head towards the chairs, off panel.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Permission to poll?
SPEECH BALLOON CHAIR (off-panel): Granted.
PANEL FIVE: View over Derrickís shoulder of the crowd of students, who are all raising their hands.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: All who agree that weíre a salad bowl?
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Okay.

PAGE FIVE:
PANEL ONE: Front view of Derrick at the podium, speaking. Dreamlike images of various vegetables surround him. Lettuce, cabbage, spinach, pepper, radish, cucumber.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Alright, so what goes into your average salad. Well, youíve got to have lettuce, and youíve usually got some spinach, radishes, cucumbers, cabbage, pepperÖ
PANEL TWO: Close-up of Derrick, looking concerned.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: WaitÖIím forgetting something. Thereís something else thatís in like every salad everÖwhat is it again?
PANEL THREE: Wider shot of Derrick, looking relieved.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Oh yeah, tomato!
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Man, I canít believe I almost forgot the tomato. You canít have a salad withoutÖ
PANEL FOUR: Derrick, looking troubled again. The image of a tomato seems to be haunting him.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Öwaitaminute. Somethingís wrong. Something about this seems just a little bitÖ
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Öqueer.
PANEL FIVE: Derrick has a look of wicked intent on his face as he leans forward against the podium.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Oh yeah, thatís right.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: The tomato is, in actualityÖ
PANEL SIX: Extreme close-up of Derrickís lips, centimeters away from the microphone, with a wicked little grin as he says:
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: ÖA FRUIT.
PANEL SEVEN: Wide shot, over Derrickís shoulder, of the entire audience laughing hysterically.
SOUND EFFECT: HAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHA!!!!!

PAGE SIX:
PANEL ONE: Front view of Derrick at the podium, trying to continue his argument over the outburst of laughter.
SOUND EFFECT: HAHAHAHAHAHA
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Calm down, Iím not done yet and I donít have much time up here.
PANEL TWO: All of the panels on this page are the same view and composition, just Derrick moves slightly in each to convey that he is becoming more comfortable talking to the crowd.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Okay, so now weíve got this fruit in our America salad, but nobody really seems to notice, right? It tastes alright with our vegetables, doesnít it? Nobodyís complaining about it being there.
PANEL THREE:
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: And here we are like good little vegetables, just vegging out and not doing anything about anything.
PANEL FOUR:
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Theyíre here. Theyíre queer. Weíre used to them.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Well, thatís all well and good for salad, but since weíre talking about America, letís talk about some foods that are more American, right?

PAGE SEVEN:
PANEL ONE: Same basic front view of the podium and Derrick. He is holding out one arm as if he were weighing an alternative option and there is a dreamlike vision of a Hamburger floating beside him.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: We sure do love burgers, donít me? MmmmÖmeat, or corn and carrots in the case of veggie burgers for the vegetarians, who are fans of the salad anyway.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: They love putting good olí veggies on our burgers for us, donít they? Weíve got lettuce and onionsÖumÖsliced tomato.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: And ketchup.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Okay, I guess the burger is a little gay, what with all the ìeating meatî and such. Thatís alright, weíll just go with a food that was invented in the United StatesÖ
PANEL TWO: Derrick holds out the other arm and there is the dreamy visage of a pizza.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Ölike pizza! We all love pizza, donít we? I thought so.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Even though its an Italian-styled food, the first pizza pie was actually made right here in the US, so the way I see it, that makes it ours.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: So the pizzaís pretty simple. A basic pizza has just dough, cheese, and tomato sauce. Damn!
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Well, you can order a white pizza without any sauce, but thatís kinda gay anyway, isnít it?
SPEECH BALLOON ANON. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yeah!
PANEL THREE: Derrick raises one hand forward as the visage of a hot dog appears beside him.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Ah, well what about the hot dog, huh? That was first made in good olí Coney Island. Thatís quintessentially American right there!
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: The hot dog is even simpler, its just a dog on a bun. The beauty of the hot dog comes in the condiments, and the most popular condiment of all isÖketchup.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Goddammit!
PANEL FOUR: Same front view. Derrick is resting forward, looking slightly defeated.
SOUND EFFECT: CLAK
SPEECH BALLOON CHAIR (off-panel): The speakerís time has elapsed.
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: Hot dogís kind of phallic anyway.
PANEL FIVE: Same front view. Derrick throws up his arms.
SOUND EFECT: CLAK-CLAK
SPEECH BALLOON CHAIR (off-panel): Will the speaker please step down?
SPEECH BALLOON DERRICK: I guess weíre gay!

PAGE EIGHT:
PANEL ONE: Derrick puts his hands in his pockets and walks off the stage, looking as though heís given up. The crowd of wide-eyed students applaud wildly.
SOUND EFFECT: CLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAP
SOUND EFFECT (in that its treated as a sound effect and not in a word balloon): Yeah! Awesome! Alright! Woo-hoo!
PANEL TWO: Close-up of the three chairs talking amongst themselves.
SPEECH BALLOON CHAIR 1: That dudeís pretty good for a freshman.
SPEECH BALLOON CHAIR 2: Thatís a freshman?
SPEECH BALLOON CHAIR 3: Thatís a dude?
PANEL THREE: Shot of Derrick walking back up the aisle, very similar to the shot of him walking down it earlier. The students in seats along the aisle are all turned towards him smiling and applauding. Derrickís hands are still deep in his pockets and he is slouched forward with his head tilted downwards and his hair obscuring most of his face, but we can make out that he is smiling widely.




anyway, i decided i thought up a nice way to tie all teh things i wanted to write, but wasn't really ready to expand upon yet into the larger form script he mentioned. i think it could be really excellent. i hope so, at least. i don't think i could do comics professionally, but i sure as hell want to do them anyway.

i am so lacking in the sleep department.

i got my LOCAL shirt from Brian Wood today. i wore it to work. its kind of awesome.
i also got Serana Maneesh's much hyped self-titled album today. its pretty fun noise-pop (popularly referred to as "shoegaze" music), which i've been fond of for a while now thanks to bands like my bloody valentine and early his name is alive. one of the things i find fascinating, though, is that one of the songs on this album is titled "Her Name Is Suicide" and that the opening of the song sounds suspiciously like many elements from His Name Is Alive's limited edition masterpiece King Of Sweet
anyway, that amuses me