Life of I

[mjakob42]

To get you up to speed about myself...

So, yeah, hey SF-O - mjakob42 here. My real name is actually Jakob Miller; born on 3/23/1993 (notice all the 3's in my birthdate - perhaps I should take it as an omen?) in San Pedro, California. I'm currently living in Bellevue, Nebraska. If you're wondering how I got from point A to point B, feel free to ask, but I don't feel like going into detail right now. I am of Norwegian and Scottish descent and I take a lot of pride in my heritage. I love a joke or two about my heritage, but don't push me too far (you have no idea how many people I've said "it's a kilt, not a skirt" to).

So what am I doing with my life, you might be wondering. Well, I WAS going to a local community college for business, but I unfortunately flunked out of the school's financial aid program. I could have filled out an appeal for and continue school, but I've never been the best student, so my new plan is to go into the Air Force sometime at the end of the year. I don't plan on making a career out of it, but, hey, maybe that'll change.

As for long-term goals; the only real long-term goal that I really want to make happen is to become a filmmaker. Film has always played a huge part in my life, and I've always loved telling stories. Why not tell stories through the lens of a movie camera? I've been writing a screenplay since January that I think has been going very well, and as soon as I'm out of the Air Force and working a steady job, the first thing I want to do is get started on making it. I guess I should mention that I'm sort of working on a documentary on local metal band Dirtfedd from Lincoln, NE. Aside from getting some concert footage every once in a while, I haven't gotten any REAL work done on it since last summer (real work meaning interviews and such).

Now for the fun part; what are my hobbies and interests? Well, film is obviously the big one, so I won't go into too much detail on that one - the last thing about film I will say is that my all-time favorite movie is Park Chan-wook's Oldboy. Music also plays a decently large place in my life, but not to the point of being a hipster or indie-douche. My all time favorite artists is Trent Rez...erm, Nine Inch Nails, followed by Pink Floyd, Rage Against the Machine, Korn, Beastie Boys, and A Fine Frenzy. Even though I listen to a lot of aggressive music, I'd like to think my music taste is pretty versatile. Hell, my favorite genre of music is Celtic dance music, which surprises a lot of people.

And yes, I am a gamer (I wouldn't be here on SF-O if I wasn't). It's harder for me to pick out my favorite video games of all time since I don't game nearly as much as a lot of people, but if I could pick out my top three games, they'd be Diablo 2, Doom, and Metal Gear Solid (the first one [the PSX version]). Aside from video gaming, I do a lot of table-top/board-gaming. I love a good Dungeons & Dragons campaign. I used to play Warhammer 40K (and I actually had a pretty kick-ass Imperial Guard army) which I'd love to get back into, but my current financial status won't allow it.

And finally, my stance on politics/religion. Regarding politics, I choose not to label myself partly because I don't keep up with current events too much, but mostly because my opinions scatter all over the place - I have a lot of right-wing beliefs, and I have a lot of left-wing beliefs. And regarding religion, I'm not religious; I have nothing against religion itself, but I have a lot of issues with some of the hypocrisy and corruption in some of the community. Now, if you're religious and find happiness through whatever you believe in, good for you: who the hell am I to say what you believe in is a load of crap? This is why I hate atheist scientists who make it their life goal to prove any sort of God is non-existent.

...and that's pretty much all you need to know about me all up to this point. I'd talk about what happened today (after all, this is a journal), but I feel it necessary to post only when something interesting happens, and nothing interesting happened today. Besides, I think I've talked enough about myself for one post, and I'm the kind of guy who hates putting himself in the spotlight. If there's anything else you're curious to know about me up to this point, please feel free to ask. I'll keep you updated, thank you for reading, but it's time for me to head out.

[Redeemer]

I love a joke or two about my heritage, but don't push me too far (you have no idea how many people I've said "it's a kilt, not a skirt" to).

Oh no one will make fun of you. I'm 100% Scottish and it's always been fun. :D

[mjakob42]

Oh no one will make fun of you. I'm 100% Scottish and it's always been fun.

Nor do I expect anybody on the site to - I love practically everybody here. I just like to bring it up, and to be honest I try to use kind of a joking/sarcastic tone, but as we all know it's extremely difficult to convey intended emotions/tone through text.

Also, Red, what's your Scottish clan?

Anywho, onto my first legitimate journal entry...

May 15, 2012

Okay, nothing terribly interesting happened today, but at least stuff DID happen today. Went and visited my recruiter and gave him the update on my back...Oh, I guess I should let you know about that. Now, I'm not trying to come off as a whiny "I'm in pain, my life sucks" bitch, so if I do come off like that, I apologize.

So, since April 17th my back's been hurting...like, really bad (although it's been feeling a lot better this past week and a half). I let my recruiter know about the recurring pain, and he said to go visit the doctor, which I was planning to do already. In a nutshell, doc said it shouldn't be anything too serious (we're positive I pulled a muscle from working out), put me on sleeping pills-I mean, Cyclobenzaprine, informed my recruiter today, he's on leave for a week and a half so he said come back on the 29th.

So, to kill time 'til the 29th? Well, work, for one. Luckily, I might be getting more hours soon since one of our other rovers might be getting fired soon. Bittersweet, to say the least, but I have been asking for more hours ever since I stopped going to school, so I don't feel too bad that this coworker's not impressing management too well. Besides, I got to save as much money as possible for Mayhem Fest this upcoming July (so excited).

But on the days/nights I DON'T work, what better way to kill time than movies? My desire to watch new stuff is coming back, so I'm taking advantage of that. In theaters tomorrow comes Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator, and myself being a huge Cohen fan, I'm pretty excited. Coming to select theaters is the documentary Marley , a biography on Bob Marley, his life, and his legacy, which premiers this Friday. I'm not a terribly huge Bob Marley fan, but I am excited to know more about one of the biggest icons in music, let alone reggae.

And aside from movies in theaters, I have a really bad habit of buying movies before seeing them: I have a DVD collection that I'm very proud of, and I usually go and buy something before seeing it if I hear enough good things about it, so I've got a ton of movies that I haven't watched yet, and this week I'm planning to kill my free time with movies - started The Prestige earlier today, and I'm gonna' go finish it as soon as I'm done with this post. So far, not as into it as a lot of people are, but it's still a very interesting movie about magician rivalry.

So, before I sign off, I'm usually looking for new movies to add to the to-watch list. What could you guys recommend to me?

[mjakob42]

June 5th, 2012

Mmkay, been a little while, but I shall updatee 'cause stuff's happening in this dude's life...for the good!

Specifically, I've got a job interview at QuikTrip - a convenience store chain - tomorrow afternoon, and there's a very good chance I'm getting this job, because they called me the day after I filled out the application. Usually I gotta' hassle managers to have them look at my app, so to have somebody contact me almost immediately after submission, obviously there's something in my app that they really want working in their store. Not to mention that I have a lot of friends who work (or have worked) at QT. They said there's no way I'm not gonna' get this job. I'd love to stay at my current job, but the hours way too unsteady, and with my road trip coming and the Criterion Collection sale at Barnes & Noble coming up in July, and Knotfest in August, I'd like to make as much money as possible. Eight hour shifts with an $8 wage and working 30-40 hours a week will take care of all that no problem.

Also probably going to have my physical sometime next week, but other than that, not much else is going on. Seriously getting ready to start up a movie critiquing vlog up on YouTube, so I'm making preparations for that.

[mjakob42]

June 8th, 2012

Well, unfortunately, I didn't get the job at QT - missed one too many questions on the math test they give you prior to the interview. I'm not terribly bummed out about it, though: the guy who interviewed me said he really wanted to hire me, so at least it's good to have good connections. He did say I could reapply in 45 days (around mid-July), but by then there's no point; I'll be ready to go to basic in a few months. Besides, I'm still employed at my current job - I just wanted a change of scenery.

But, on a good note, got my Knotfest ticket today! Don't know what Knotfest is? This August, Slipknot is holding their first self-hosted concert festival. There's one held in Council Bluffs, IA (the one I'm going to) and one in Minneapolis, MN (so for those of you in the area, you should definitely go). The lineups slightly differ from each other from dates, but the IA show will feature Slipknot (obviously), Deftones, Lamb of God, Dethklok, Serj Tankian, The Urge, Prong, and, my favorite boys from Lincoln, Dirtfedd. I'll say it right now that this last summer before enlisting is going to kick lots of ass!

[mjakob42]

June 16th, 2012

Rather interesting day today.

First off, before I go on about today, as of Wednesday the 13th, I'm officially in the United States Air Force, so hello to a (hopefully) better life! I'm doing delayed enlistment, so I have no idea when I'm going to basic yet. I told the guys at MEPS that I want to leave anytime after September, so for now, I'm just playing it by ear and enjoying my last summer.

So I went to a concert with a coworker and a few of her friends in February of this year. While I didn't really get to know them all that well (except for this coworker, obviously), it was a very fun time and I'll never forget that time or the people I partied with. So a couple of days ago or so, one of the guys in this group - Ben - died. I didn't find out until today. While I really couldn't shed any tears for him since I barely knew the guy, I felt something for him - it's hard not to when it comes to death. Upon further discovery, Ben had died in a car crash, and it was, unfortunately, his fault - had way too much to drink, then got in his car and lost control of said car. And in that perspective, I can only have so much sympathy. It's a weird feeling, and I hate to sound so cold, but guess what: this is what alcohol does to people. Sure, I like to have a drink every once in a while, but still...I don't know how to put it into words, but hopefully you know what I'm getting at.

But the point I'm trying to get to you guys is to cherish everything you've got now, because in the split fraction of a hair of a second, it's all going to change. I guess I should mention that Ben was in his mid-20's or so. While I'm not terribly effected by Ben's sudden death, a lot of my coworkers are absolutely devastated by his passing.

[mjakob42]

July 1st, 2012

How's it going, everybody?

Well, for me, thing's have been going really well lately, even though not much has happened. First thing, and I'll go ahead and get the romantic drama out of the way, this coworker of mine that I really like and I are starting to get along again. The road is still a little bumpy (metaphorically speaking), but we're actually talking again as opposed to exchanging awkward greetings. I'm not getting my hopes up too much, but I have a feeling something - even if it's the smallest thing - will work out between us.

So enough romantic drama - been finally getting back into writing my screenplay. Since early this year, I've had an idea for a film that I still can't get my mind off of - a film that ponders the existence (or lack thereof) of a God as experienced by a naive young man. I started the first draft on January 27th, and got about five pages done around that time. Ever since, I haven't touched it at all until a day or two ago. Now I'm up to 20 or so pages. I'm shooting to write a 80-100 page first draft, so let's see how that works out. I've also been getting back into reading (something I've not done in a long time), so I figured to keep myself motivated in terms of filmmaking, I'd pick up some books on film and whatnot. What I managed to procure...

Four Screenplays of Ingmar Bergman by Ingmar Bergman

For those of you who don't know, Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman is highly regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. His films tend to deal with issues involving religion, death, human emotion and whatnot - sort of a proto-goth style. His style kind of reminds me of the kind of films I want to do, so I'm trying to get my hands on as much Ingmar Bergman related material in my reach. This book isn't too important, but I thought it would be a fun read - it's just a compilation of four of his screenplays for Smiles of a Summer Night, The Seventh Seal (my personal favorite of his works), Wild Strawberries, and The Magician.

Images: My Life in Film by Ingmar Bergman

When it comes to Bergman, this is probably a more mandatory read. It is less an autobiography than a retrospective account of what went on during the making of each of his films. To be 100% honest, I've only seen three of his films, so half the time I don't know exactly what he's talking about. But it's a very interesting read nonetheless. When I've seen more of his stuff (which I plan on doing) I'll probably go back and read this.

Making Movies by Sidney Lumet

Okay, another book by one of the world's greatest filmmakers - Sidney Lumet, the man behind classics such as 12 Angry Men, Network, and, my personal favorite of his work, Dog Day Afternoon. I figure it would probably be a good idea to hear filmmaking methods from a master of the craft.

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs, and Rock N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood by Peter Biskind

I hear from several people into film that this is also a pretty important read, and the subtitle pretty much says it all. During the mid-to-late 60s, Hollywood was beginning to take a turn for the worst due to spewing out the same film in different form after a while. Then came along a film entitled Easy Rider, the drug-induced motorcycle road-trip starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper (who also directs). When this film came out, it totally changed the American side of the industry and introduced a new kind of film.

The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis

Okay, this one's not a film book, but I'm also into reading/watching highly controversial material. But there was, in fact, a film adaptation by Martin Scorsese in '88 - one of my all-time favorite movies. The film spawned immense controversy: it is actually ranked by Time Out New York as the most controversial film of all time. It (and Kazantzakis' novel) tell the story of Jesus Christ prior to his crucifixion. Yet this Jesus is a more human Jesus; a man with flaws, doubts, and sexual fantasies. Like I said, I've seen the film and it's one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen; some say it's a sin to depict Jesus like that, but it doesn't come out as exploitation (after all, I thought Jesus was fully God AND fully human). I'm not exactly religious, but seeing Jesus as a man gave me much more respect. Now to read the book...

Okay, so I'm gonna' be busy reading for a while But the last thing I want to add is that I finally got my Mayhem Fest ticket! And in 16 days from now, I'll be in Bonner Springs, KS, jamming out to the likes of Slipknot, Slayer, Anthrax, Motorhead, and many others! Cannot wait to get out of this town, even if it's only for a day and a half. Overall, I'm just glad things are finally working out between me n' this coworker, and I'm finally finding more productive things to do with my free time since I'm no longer in college.

[mjakob42]

July 18th, 2012

Well, as of yesterday, the wait was finally over! For those of you who don't know (even though that's been almost all I've talked about), went to the Rockstar Mayhem Festival in Bonner Springs, Kansas yesterday, featuring:

Slipknot

Slayer

Motorhead

As I Lay Dying

Anthrax

The Devil Wears Prada

Asking Alexandria

Whitechapel

Upon a Burning Body

I the Breather

Betraying the Martyrs

Dirtfedd

I'll keep it as short and to-the-point as possible. Absolutely awesome time! I will say that there were a few bands that I can't stand that happened to be there (namely Devil Wears Prada and Asking Alexandria), but all the great bands made up for all the awfulness! I think the best part was seeing four of the biggest metal bands ever in one night for $50 (Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead, Anthrax). So I'll go ahead and talk about those.

While they're my least favorite of the "Big Four" of metal (the others being Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth), Anthrax put on one of the best shows of the evening. The one thing that kind of blew was the fact that they didn't get to play the main stage; they were stuck on the Jagermeister stage, while As I Lay Dying took the reign of the main stage. Now, I don't mind As I Lay Dying, but I feel that them being billed over Anthrax was blasphemy. But, back to the show: I actually caught one of the drumsticks after their set, but everybody kept begging me for it, so after a while I just said "screw this" and gave the drumstick away. Maybe stupid on my part, but the guy I ended up giving the stick to was somebody who's son was a huge Anthrax fan, so I felt really good for making somebody's day like that.

I'm not a terribly big Motorhead fan, but it was pretty awesome to, once again, see one of the biggest metal legends in the world. The one thing I can say for them is My God, do they have one of the most amazing drummers ever.

As you may or may not know, Slayer is my favorite of the "Big Four", so seeing them was mandatory for me. Ho-ly-sh-it, they kicked ass! As soon as they started, there was no mellowing out the slightest bit. By "Raining Blood", practically the entire crowd erupted into one giant glorious mosh pit. I intend to see Slayer multiple times, but in the mean time, seeing them live was an amazing experience.

And on to the feature presentation of this testosterone-laden day of metal: SLIPKNOT!!! I've been dying to see their live show for about a year now, ever since I watched their (sic)nesses: Live at Download 2009 video. Honestly, it's one of the best shows I've ever watched, so I realized that I needed to see the Knot live. And...to be 100% honest...it was a wee-bit disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it was an awesome show, but it just felt so rushed. Like, they were playing the music, but they weren't playing the music. It's really hard to explain, but you'll hopefully catch my drift. For me, the biggest thing that got on my nerves was the exclusion of some essential Slipknot songs, namely "Left Behind", "The Blister Exists", and "Pulse of the Maggots" (which is my friend's favorite, so he wasn't terribly happy when they left that one out). Once again, this was a great show, but I felt it could have been stronger. But, hey, I'm going to Knotfest next month, so I have a feeling they'll be more energetic and excited to play that show.

On a brighter Slipknot-related note, I managed to pick up their new CD AND an autographed poster all for $20. In other words, I have the new CD, and it's technically not released until the 24th of this month. SCORE 1!!!

I caught bits n' pieces of most the other bands that played, but I just couldn't get much into the rest of the bands. Before the big boys played, the only band I actually sat from start to finish was Dirtfedd, who I legitimately love. As you guys know, I always like to show my local boys some love n' support. Upon talking to the vocalist did I find out that I actually might me getting press passes for Knotfest, with me and that Dirtfedd documentary thing. Really hope that works out.

So, overall, a very fun day, as you could probably imagine! Wish I had pictures and/or video to show you, but I'd rather not thrash out while worrying about the expensive camera in my pocket getting broken in the mosh pit.