The 1880

FUCK. You’ve lost your Word document?

FUCK YOU, CLIPPY.

Our lovely staff member Megan called me last night, frantic that she had lost her Word document. We’ve all been in the same boat– often it’s the same situation: you’ve e-mailed yourself a copy of your document that you open and start editing. You save and then close the window, not immediately realizing that you haven’t downloaded the file to your computer. Shit.

First of all, let that be a warning to you: When you receive a document of ANY TYPE in your e-mail, save it to your computer first!

So, the first thing (as anybody might do) I did was search google for “saved word document open from email lost.” What came up seemed pretty helpful. It was “10 Ways to Find a Lost Word .doc” from the website HackCollege.

9. Open up C:\Documents and Settings\*USERNAME*\Local Settings\Temp
This is a hidden folder, so you’ll probably have to use Windows Explorer. Hit Start, then All Programs.
Go to Accessories, then Windows Explorer. Navigate to that folder, where *USERNAME* is whatever your computer calls you. Do you see your document in that folder?

Check out the full article here.

I’m sure this could help a few of you guys out more than once.

I’m sure the IT Helpdesk at Emerson would be happy that I told you this (when you do have a computer issue, go to them– they know their shit).

The E Spot

The E Spot. Em Magazine. Get it? Courtesy of espotmag.com.

Looks like we have a new magazine in town. This one’s called The E Spot, and seems to be (correct me if I’m wrong) an online magazine about sex and how it may apply to Emerson students. Why would I guess this? With categories on the main page such as “Relationshits,” “Sex Sex Sex,” and “Hot Shit,” it’s pretty much impossible to avoid. With a few risque photos and a few risque articles on sex and encounters, it’s something to check out if you’re looking for something a little… steamy.

Immediately it reminds me of Boink Magazine, Boston University’s sex-positive magazine. They’ve been pretty successful at getting some quality magazines printed out. However, they are quite a bit bigger than Emerson.

How this will coincide with Em Magazine’s nude photo shoot, I don’t know.

It seems like getting naked is all the rage for Emerson’s online material. Time to talk to the staff here? Only time will tell…

10,000 Years Before Fact

Fun Fact: Wolly Mammoths = Dating Technique

Things I did not know until I witnessed the glory that was the cinematic marvel “10,000 B.C.”

1. Blue eyes make you special. Very, very special. Why haven’t I recieved this goddess-like status yet?

2. Ten millenia ago, in a northern African area, people of one tribe could come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. I guess they had their own little Ellis Island around there, because I’m sure that there were at least eight different heritages visiable from facial feature alone in this one tribe.

3. Love conquers all, or more specifically, love conquers wolly mammoths. (Because back then, you couldn’t get the girl until you stabbed the hairy beast in the heart. Romance at its finest, ladies.)

4. Speaking of wolly mammoths, did you know they built the pyramids? Fun fact. Not only are the pyramids a few thousands years older than all that silly, inaccurate carbon-dating says, but those slaves got a little help from the furry elephants hauling the giants bricks. Laziness, I say.

5. If you save a saber-tooth tigers life, it will communicate with you telepathically. Seriously.

6. “The Almighty” is German. A crusty, pale, old, withered German. In Africa.

7. There was some sort of ten-foot-tall ostrich-pterodactyl-velociraptor creature alive in 10,000 B.C., and it got screeching mad when it couldn’t eat the crunchy little humans.

8. They had domesticated horses? What?!?!

9. They had corn too? Pretty sure that one is strictly American continental cuisine. I’m positive.

10. Too much of a spiritual connection with someone causes nosebleeds. Kind of like cocaine.

All in all, I’ve realized that no one, absolutely no one, involved in the making of this movie has ever picked up a 6th grade social studies book. “Artistic license” took on an entirely new level. If this was 10,000 B.C., it put the golden age of the Egyptian Empire at around 25,000 B.C., because they trumped them in more than a few ways. Archeology, schmarcheology–it was a good excuse to put a saber-tooth tiger and ostrich-raptors into a movie. God bless. I’d recommend a very un-sober viewing though, or you might not make it.

Lessons from The Magic Kingdom, Part II

You sound like one of the guys on that commentary I watch all the time.

Storytelling Through Animation
2/28, 12:00PM, Max Mutchnick Campus Center Multipurpose Room

Making his directorial debut with 1994’s The Lion King, Roger Allers expanded upon a career as an animator, writer, story supervisor, and storyboard artist. He spoke to an attentive crowd of Emerson students and faculty as a part of the Professional Development Conference.

Allers opened his talk with us urging us to follow that which excites us. Allers had been fascinated with art and animation his entire life. After graduating with a degree in fine art, he decided to travel, notably living in a cave for some time. Always fascinated with animation, he purchased a do-it-yourself animation kit, produced a small bit of work, and came to work at an animation studio in Boston in 1974. Hearing of a professor at Harvard teaching animation, armed with his portfolio and what he called a “mix of determinism and naiveté,” convinced the professor to let him audit the class. This experience sparked an interest in more narrative work.

Leaving Boston behind, he fell into a storyboard position at Disney, where he helped develop ideas for the film Tron. Considering video games barely existed at this point in development for the film, there was a considerable amount of creative elbow room. Storyboard artists would be given script pages, audio samples, artistic renderings, and be required to dissect a scene. “What is interesting or unique here? How are these characters special?” Boarding scenes allows for the first step towards visualizing a story. The actions, the pacing, and the rhythm of a scene can now be extrapolated and understood by other members of the project.

Read the rest »

Dems: Divided as Me (Frustrated)

No, Ralph. You may not speak.

Sure, someone won and someone lost when it came to the democratic primaries yesterday. That is what happens in compeitions. You have a winner and a loser.

Hillary won. The democrats lost.

Before you start jumping down my throat for being biased and a horrible journalist (have you read my other articles? “journalist” is a little generous), I don’t not like Hillary Clinton. I don’t not like Obama. I’d like to think I am very mysterious and vague about my allegiances. But seriously, I wish Hillary would have just gone away.

Right now I am so jealous of the republicans. Look at them. They are so happy and unified and all nominee-filled. They are like the geeky kid who you’re secretly jealous of because he finished his huge end of the semester project way before its due and can just chill and watch “Firefly” reruns and drink ginger ale the rest of the year. I hate that kid.

This is why I was praying for a clear Obama victory yesterday. He seemed to have gained so much momentum recently. I was so hopeful that the democrats would go ahead and “get their project done early” so they would be closer to a nomination. Now its an even tighter race and the only person who is benefiting is McCain. With their party so divided by their candidates the dems remain weak. What will happen when Obama-llama or now (maybe) the Hill-anator wins the nomination? Half of the party will be disappointed and (horror of horrors!) might seek solace elsewhere. Desperate and alone they will run to the arms of their sometimes lover. The lover that they know they have no future with but is the warm body they so desperately need after being dumped by their candidate. Nader.
(While I’m on the warpath: Damn you Nader! Stop stealing legitimate votes!)

So at this point I don’t care who drops out (Hillary is still trailing in votes so maybe she should think about it). I just want some closure. I want the calm after the long, drawn-out, too-close-to-call storm.

Lessons from The Magic Kingdom, Part I

Chris Montan wears expensive jeans and wants you to be successful.

Beyond Networking
2/28, 11:00AM, Max Mutchnick Campus Center Multipurpose Room

Chris Montan is currently the president of Walt Disney Music. He’s acted as the Executive Music Producer on just about every significant Disney feature, stage production, or animated release of the last twelve years. His son happens to go to our school, and he was so kind as to bestow some of his most insightful precious stones of knowledge upon us as a part of the very valuable “Professional Development Conference.” What follows is what he had to say.

Entertainment is a hard business to get into, and hard to stay in.

There’s is always some day, some event, some serendipitous moment that acts as your big break. You need to work to improve chances and prepare for that luck. Be ready when your door opens. He was lucky enough to make a huge lateral shift through corporate trees of Disney when Eisner and Katzenberg were reorganizing the company.

Only do things you are perpetually passionate and excited about. Noting the clichés of the statement, he refers to passion as what your friends can see really excites you. For example, Bette Midler has been a long time buddy of his, and as long as he has known her, she approaches every new project with the same excitement as she ever has.

Continually educate yourself in fields that really fascinate you. Give yourself as much information as possible. In college, Montan read all he could about successful singer-songwriters, because that was what he wanted to do with himself. Don’t be the disengaged student that drops out of school their sophomore year when you get bored or realize you’re not doing what you want to do.

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Have an event? Need a crew? Holding a meeting? Want to write for the 1880?

Holy fucking shit! Look at this fucking meeting! We should totally tell the 1880 about this shit. They'll totally put it on their motherfucking front page. Awesome!

Well then today’s your day! We just opened some new features of the site (via e-mail) that will make it easier for you, our readers, to find other readers who want to do cool shit for/with them. So, how do you do this?

For events / meetings / crews / general announcements
If you’re holding an event or wanting to make an announcement of some sort for a club, production, or brothel, feel free to contact us at announce [at] the1880.com. Lend some information as to who’s holding it, when it is, where it is, and what it’s all about. We’ll put your announcement up on the main site at a predetermined day (we’re trying to figure that out… we’re thinking Mondays for announcements & Thursdays for things going on on the weekend). Take advantage of this! You’ll be reaching lots of your fellow students!

For tip-giving
If you have a good idea for a story with a little bit of information you’d like us to cover, let us know all the info you have at tips [at] the1880.com.

For potential writers
You’ve been reading this website for a while. You’ve been itching to submit your own stuff. Well, then, you asshole(s), get on it! Contact us at write [at] the1880.com with what you want to write about and if you want to join the staff. We’re always looking for new faces who want to write stuff on a place that’s sort of like a newspaper but on a screen that people can access from strange terminals anywhere they want.

And now to your regularly scheduled programming…

My Sister’s Guide to Living in Africa

This girl has never been to Africa.

I adore my sister. Some might say I even love her. Those people would be correct. She is a beautiful southern belle ballerina who often resembles a Disney romantic movie musical ingénue. I swear I have actually seen birds gently float onto her arms and join in her jovial singing. I was on the phone with her recently and I brought up the fact that I might join the Peace Corps after college. She, being the older and wiser one, decided to dispense some advice on how to deal with being in the Peace Corps in Africa.

1. Own a Brita water filter.
At first she told me to always have Fiji bottled water, but when I told her that one’s assignment lasted well over a year she suggested a Brita water filter. I thought this was remotely practical. Even if I was in the middle of a third world village, plagued with dysentery, at least I would have fresh clean water. Though, I don’t know if I want to be known as “that prissy white girl with a Brita.”

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