I See You

Check this out. Mirror reflection? Nope. Window. The sun was in the perfect position to make a normally opaque window a mirror, without throwing glare up at the same time. The only flaw is the side which was blocked by the building itself. This photo was taken on the 3rd floor balcony of the Towson University Union.

Oh, I'm dead sexy.

I also like this shot. These little shrubs hanging on to life on the concrete of that same balcony.

How I'd Make a Better Movie

Remember how cool the Matrix was? Then the promise of the second film? Then the extreme let down of the third (the end basically says "nothing mattered, really"...how screwed up is that?)?
I shall now discuss how I would have taken the plot of the third movie. I know I'm not alone on this plot direction, not by a long shot, but you tell me if this wouldn't have been a much cooler concept. And you still could have had your mishmash of eastern and western religions with Neo being the amalgamation of the holy personages.

The end of the second movie had The Architect lecturing Neo about levels of control, and how this isn't the first time, not by a long shot, that "the One" has been introduced to the programming. Then, Neo finds that he can control things in the real world as he can in the Matrix.

This has interesting possibilities that weren't even remotely thought about in the third movie. Let's explore them now:

In the third movie, it should have been discovered that "the real world," the shitty existence led by the freedom fighters...was simply another level of control. Hinted at by The Architect, this level was to keep the really rebellious minds under control with the illusion of freedom. Make the conditions really crappy, make them think they're freeing others and fighting for their lives in their own world, when really...they're plugged in the same as everyone else. Only this incarnation of Neo evolves. He does things "in the real world" that he could only do in the Matrix, and this causes him to break free of the Matrix, and come to the realization that what he thought was "the real world" was bogus. He then finds a way to free Morpheus and company...etc.

How much cooler would that have been? All that hinting for nothing...a really interesting story that really fits well in to the mythos...nada. Oh well. Guess that's why I'm here typing this stuff and not getting paid for it, right?

Also, in camera news, check out this photo!

Set the shutter speed nice and low, and took it only with the low ambient light. Hence the table (no tripod). Again, this turned exactly as my naked eye perceived it, with the exception of the twinkly christmas lights. I'm particularly proud of the glow of the computer monitor, both on Chris Taydus' face, and on the overhang above the desk area.

In other camera news...it scares the piss out of Elmo. I think when it's on, it must emit a high pitch frequency that he can hear, but we can't.

Inadvertant Shadow Art

Was talking with David via his comments, and mentioned that I had inadvertently taken this picture while trying to get a shot of Elmo at play. I then attempted to take other ones, and none of them worked out. Go figure. Guess that how it works sometimes. Well, enjoy the I-didn't-intend-it goodness.

Also, no comments on the slippers. They're Land's End, and they rock.