Monday, January 25, 2010

The New Orleans Saints and Divine Intervention


Yesterday there was a shift in the cosmos.
The New Orleans Saints, invented in 1967, a team whose only consistency was in last-minute losses, won the NFC Conference title and IS GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL.

Again: the SUPER BOWL.  The SAINTS.

Holy fried oyster poboys ya'll!


There is no doubt in my mind that divine forces were deeply at work in the Superdome on January 24, 2010.  Simple proof was that Brett Favre, the opposing star QB, was about ready to throw the final touchdown in the last few seconds of the game. He threw an interception. There was overtime. There was a field goal. There was a miracle.


Where the Saints are, otherworldly forces are always at work.

From what I hear, Bourbon Street ran out of liquor last night, fireworks and assorted hooting kept my parents awake, the whole of southern Louisiana called in sick to work, and Walmart sold out of Saints swag faster than Budweiser tallboy halfracks before a hurricane.

So suddenly this fleur-de-lis tattoo I've had on my forearm since 2005 is team spirit....

GO SAINTS!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

I found a new Final Cut Motion function today, and it has the perfect name. I sought out the function to use it, but instead I found verbal gold. "Random Fade Out. "

Friday, January 22, 2010

The U.S. Postal Service as a reflection of U.S. Government

I am freshly back from the post office down the street. The line was long as usual for window service, so I went to the automated postage machine, only to find on the final screen that the printer was broken. I added myself to the window line with all the other suckers who occasionally are forced to use U.S. mail.

There were about a dozen of us in the switchback line while one clerk staffed a window, casually chatting with someone about Express Mail and money orders and I think the weather and possibly what's upcoming on the next Big Brother season.

Then the Woman in Pink came out. She's a fairly frightening woman - older, grey dreadlocks, always in the same pink cardigan when she comes out for her patrols. She circled us cattle stuck in the line, peering at our parcels before shouting "I can help people with pickups only - anybody got a pickup?"  Silence, then someone shouted "How about stamps?"  Her reply was "I answered that with the first thing I said."

It struck me how much the Postal Service is a reflection of our American government:

-Lines are always so long and service so cold, we just get used to it.
-The word "apathy" comes to mind every 10 seconds or so while in those lines.
-Customers continually commisserate, gossip, look and re-look at their parcels, sigh with pain.
-There are 25 signs posted per square foot in the post office, but nary a one answers my question. Hence, "Get in the line."
-Upon reaching the window, it's a crap shoot. They may be out of stamps, out of change, out of receipt printer toner, computer's down, or generally unsure what would be the best way to have my parcel reach its destination - so may as well send it priority.
-The word "hopeless" replaces "apathy."

And in the end, it took me two lines and 12 minutes to mail a "package" (NOT an envelope because it's 6x9" and rigid thankyou) for 78 cents.  Next time I'm using the pony express.

Friday, January 08, 2010

Film production company official: We have a logo!

It's a big day for Over/Under Productions!
New Logo by illustrator Jason Basse -- feedback welcome...