Friday, December 31, 1999

Hey there. I'm watchin all the New Years celebrations on TV up here on the 12th floor of Planet Weather headquarters. The site officially went live today. We begin tweaking and continue debugging on Monday. Happy New Year to everyone. Here's hoping for even more success and happiness in 2000. :) 12/31/1999 02:02:15 PM .:. | Discuss

Monday, December 27, 1999

The reserve on the bed I wanted at eBay was nearly $2,000. Sorry, I'll find a bed another time. :) 12/27/1999 06:55:08 PM .:. | Discuss

Sunday, December 26, 1999

So I'm probably going to be moving out and getting a place of my own sometime soon. In the meantime, I'm collecting furniture. Very soon, I will be in a bidding war for a heck of a king-size waterbed on eBay. It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine...

Saturday, December 25, 1999

Jules just came and left. She came over to drop off my Christmas present (two cool martini glasses and a shaker) and pick up my parents' gifts for her. Seeing her for just ten minutes is no fun to put it mildly. It appears, as I should have expected would happen, that I didn't get what I wanted for Christmas. *shrug* 12/25/1999 11:12:38 PM .:. | Discuss

Friday, December 24, 1999

Life Update: Well, I've been working at Planet Weather since Monday. Doing a lot of design and your general startup dot-com company long hours of work and game playing... Since my brother's living on his own and not around the house often, the family decided to do the Christmas thing a day early and open presents today. Scott and I got our parents a DVD player and a nice array of DVD's and rental coupons. I got Scott a Handspring Visor Deluxe. it's "based on the popular Palm OS — so it does everything the Palm Pilot does...and more!" Now, someone needs to buy one of them for me! Scott got me a 5 disc CD/Tape/Radio system. I got a bunch of cash, a massive deluxe coupon book, and Structure gift certificates from the parents. When Jules first got in from school for vacation, and the last time I saw her, a whole bunch of CD's, a monologue book for some upcoming auditions, a copy of "Tuesday's With Morrie", and some other goodies. I haven't seen her since then to give her the presents my parents got for her. And to see her some more. What a concept! Anyway... nothing new on that front. But everything else seems to be moving right along. And that's the latest, as far as I can tell... 12/24/1999 05:06:26 PM .:. | Discuss

Monday, December 20, 1999

Well, it's two months until the awards. Even still, it's Oscar prediction season. Since the Golden Globe nominations are now out I thought I'd get my Oscar nomination predictions posted. bold denotes my current predicton for Oscar Winner and italics-denote my second best educated "guess" at Oscar winner... Best Picture American Beauty Being John Malkovich The Insider The Straight Story Topsy-Turvy Directing Spike Jonze Sam Mendes Mike Leigh David Lynch Michael Mann Actor in a Leading Role Jim Carrey Russel Crowe Richard Farnsworth Kevin Spacey Denzel Washington Actress in a Leading Role Annette Bening Julianne Moore Ceclia Roth Hilary Swank Sigourney Weaver Actor in a Supporting Role Tom Cruise Michael Caine Michael Clark Duncan John Malkovich Christopher Plummer Actress in a Supporting Role Angelina Jolie Catherine Keener Julianne Moore Samantha Morton Chloe Sevigny Screenplay-Original All About Mother American Beauty Being John Malkovich Cradle Will Rock Magnolia Screenplay-Adapted The Cider House Rules The End of the Affair The Green Mile The Insider The Talented Mr. Ripley In early February, when the official nominees are known, I'll present my final version of predicted Oscar winners. What do you think? Please, let me know what you'd add, take away, change, etc... 12/20/1999 10:17:58 PM .:. | Discuss

Sunday, December 19, 1999

Random cool links. Click 'em. Trust me...

• http://www.ewav.com/stories/acrosssd.html.

• http://www.erasing.org/archive/

Saturday, December 18, 1999

Communication is so good. Having Julie home again just feels so right. I want feelings like this to be able to last until forevor. Some words are just really nice to hear. Things work out. Maybe not now. But they will. 12/18/1999 01:39:25 AM .:. | Discuss

Friday, December 17, 1999

Well, I took my last final this morning. Now what? 12/17/1999 02:32:39 PM .:. | Discuss

Three nights in a row, at about this time, I've felt the same roller coaster of emotions. I love the ups but the downs are in major need of elevation. It's so easy to say to myself and hear others say that it'll all work out in the end. No matter how much I hear it and believe it I just wish that it'd work out now and that I wouldn't have to wait until "the end" for things to fall into place. Jules said that I'm a "library of emotions." We agreed that it was better to be a library of emotions than to have none at all. I know my confusion and flurry of emotions recently has effected her. I just don't know how to turn it off. I really need some good news. :) Why am I going on about this at 1:30 in the morning with 8 hours to go until my final? Rest assured that my next entry will be posted after finals are over. For now, this "library of emotions" is going to sleep. 12/17/1999 01:31:29 AM .:. | Discuss

Thursday, December 16, 1999

My last final as a full time student, ever, will be over in less than 12 hours. At 9:45am on Friday I take my Environmental Studies final. I'm so ready for school to be over! Now if only I had a job... 12/16/1999 11:37:10 PM .:. | Discuss

Have you played Guess the Dictator/TV Character lately? 12/16/1999 11:30:52 PM .:. | Discuss

Wow, the internet sure is fast! Not more than half an hour ago I got word that Len Cariou, Broadway's original Sweeney Todd, had just signed to play the same role in our London concert production. I posted the news, modified the ad banners and website, and now business at said website has skyrocketed. Amazing. 12/16/1999 05:33:18 PM .:. | Discuss

*Deep breath* Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhh (the sound of extreme frustration). I don't know how else to say it. Why can't things be easier? 12/16/1999 12:33:20 AM .:. | Discuss

Wednesday, December 15, 1999

I'm rich!: I was checking the access stastics for the banner ads I host at some of my sites. At most I get a few bucks a day from these so you can imagine my surprise when I saw the following data instead:

Dip, dip, dip, dip, dip, dip, dip, dip... num, num, num, num, num, num... get a job: I interviewed at yet another design house today. I really like the place. They really like me. Now these places have to start giving me offers. Then we're on our way! 12/15/1999 06:03:45 PM .:. | Discuss

Julie called me out of the blue a little bit ago. I hadn't talked to her offline in two weeks and online just once or twice. I've been doing a lot better about things with her recently. I didn't realize how much happier I am, though, when she's more of a part of my life until I was talking with her tonight. She seems to really wan't me to understand what's going on. And, of course, I want to as well. I just don't think I do. Especially after talking to her again. Life's "funny" that way, I guess.

Sometimes I think much of my life could be turned into one of those blatantly commercial FOX television programs. Something like 'When Bad Things Happen To Good People'. And though the ratings would probably be great, it'd be a good bet that it'd be cancelled after about eight months. "Channel surfing." Gotta love it. 12/15/1999 01:00:20 AM .:. | Discuss

Sunday, December 12, 1999

Don't forget the third caption contest photo:

Come up with a caption for this photo and send it to me. I'll print my favorites this week! 12/12/1999 10:30:47 PM .:. | Discuss

Life Update: I haven't really talked about what's going on in my life and why I'm looking for full time work. So I will now. It appears that, after this semester is over (this coming week), I have just a few gen ed classes to take before graduation. Knowing this, I've been itching to not go to school full time and get out and start working and living on my own.

A bay area ad agency expressed interest in me several weeks ago which started the ball rolling. I interviewed with them but won't hear until the end of the month about what they plan on doing. Since then I've been talking with and approached by others interested in hiring me. I have three ad agency/web house companies who have expressed interest in hiring me as a full time designer. This is a good thing. And now I'm working with PlanetWeather.com so that makes four companies that are potential employers.

Until I'm hired by one of these, or another, commpanies, I'm "stuck" living at home not knowing what's going on with my life in the not too distant future. When I am hired, however, I'll be able to get a place, move out, and start living like a big boy. What a concept! Stay tuned. I'm on the edge of my seat in anticipation... 12/12/1999 03:46:56 PM .:. | Discuss

Saturday, December 11, 1999

I've been in the office working on PlanetWeather since 11 this morning. It's actually, sort of, a lot of fun. Working on the 12th floor of a tall downtown building, eating pizza, watching tv, and designing so it looks good and technically works on a PC and Mac running both Netscape and Explorer. Gotta love designing for the web and the lack of standards between browsers. Anyway, some of the site is live, most is buggy and incomplete (in part, thanks to the senior programmer who just so happens to be my brother scott, who found me this gig) but you can see the fruits of our labor at Planet Weather.com... 12/11/1999 10:01:07 PM .:. | Discuss

Friday, December 10, 1999

I'm working for a startup website, PlanetWeather, in downtown San Jose at the moment. I started today. Fun, fun, fun... :)
12/10/1999 09:47:22 PM .:. | Discuss

I got a great email from a reader this morning:

Some websites make you want to reach out and scratch' em behind the ears.

Nice job.

Thanks, Alex!

The second caption submission contest has ended. The photo to be captioned was:

And here are my favorite caption submittions:

• "That tears it!" Herman thought. "That's the last @%#* time I buy Viagra from vendor standing on the median." - Brad

• Yah, da moose I hit was dis tall, ya know! - Andrew (1st of 2)

• Alright already, so I forgot to put deodorant on for once in my life! - Stephen

• Dont Patronize me, I am your Grandpa. - Jessica

• Whoa! Free stag beetles? Yo! Over here. - Andrew (2nd)

• Stay yonder... I'm about to process the dairy. - Amy

• Fare well cruel world! (Sound of car driving away followed by blood curdling old man scream) - Goat Boy

My vote for the oddest submission:

• My Mom says that I eat too many cookies at Dinner but I say that plastic is hazardous to the environment when used in an unproductive manner. - Miss Doily Le Fleur

I'll have your next photo to be captioned later this evening! 12/10/1999 12:50:31 PM .:. | Discuss

Thursday, December 09, 1999

So, I'm looking for full time design work. If you or someone you know is looking to hire amazingly talented graphic designer whose name starts with "Mark Bakalor", please let me know. My resume is available here in addition to my portfolio. I currently have a few possible job opportunities but am trying to get a handle on any additional possibilities. So, let me know!

Cool! Looks like Cirque Du Soleil's 'Quidam', featuring my friend John Gilkey, will be broadcast tonight at 8pm on the cable station Bravo. 12/9/1999 04:52:12 PM .:. | Discuss

Tuesday, December 07, 1999

Something I've been working on...

I think I like "the zippies" best...

This is amusing. Especially, after this summer. One of my directors, Squire Fridell, was Ronald McDonald in the USA for years. Though he's no fan of McDonald's the paychecks certainly never hurt him any.

That's Squire and his wife Suzy at their winery on the foot of their amazing house in the hills paid for, in part, by McDonald's and Toyota residuals. Julie and I spent half a day at their place with the rest of the Charley's Aunt cast this summer. One day I want a house in the hills. Another interesting sidenote, Squire's agent is the same agent I had when I did television and commercials as a (younger) kid.

Whoa boy, THAT was random! :} 12/7/1999 02:18:18 AM .:. | Discuss

Sunday, December 05, 1999

If you're at all interested in the theatre, more specifically Stephen Sondheim and Sweeney Todd, you might be interested in going here and filling out the form... 12/5/1999 08:52:24 PM .:. | Discuss

Saturday, December 04, 1999

Tonight I went to see a production of Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Now, the show means more to me than most because I spent so much time with it a few months back in summer stock. One good thing about the production was that it brought back many great memories from the summer. Other than that, the production was pretty bad. Oh well. 12/4/1999 11:29:35 PM .:. | Discuss

Woo hoo! Only 394 days until the next millenium.

Ever wonder where your money goes?

Thanks to the people at Cardhouse for mentioning my site in today's listing: "This is Mark Bakalor's weblog. All he needs now is a picture of himself somewhere on the page." Now there's a thought!

Madeline Kahn. 12/4/1999 12:42:30 AM .:. | Discuss

Thursday, December 02, 1999

One thing I've been learning over the past year is summed up so well in the following quote:

"Love is when you are as concerned about someone else's situation as you are about your own." - Morrie Schwartz

I've just spent the last two hours reading the book, "Tuesdays with Morrie". Yes, I bought it because I saw they made it into a movie that'll air this weekend. Yes, I bought it because I saw it mentioned on Oprah. None of that matters, though. Because, the fact is, I bought the book and it's damn good. Please, get the book and read it. Or, at the very least, watch the movie this weekend.

"In the begining of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive... and at the end of life... you need others to survive... But here's the secret: in between, we need others as well."

"Love wins. Love always wins."
12/2/1999 09:03:38 PM .:. | Discuss

It had been four and a half years since we were together in high school. But four and a half years later, a year ago today, I heard from Julie out of the blue. Once again having a relationship with her has been amazing. I am a better person by having her in my life again. No more four and a half year breaks, okay? :) 12/2/1999 11:02:26 AM .:. | Discuss

Okie doke... the first caption submission contest has ended. There were many great entries and I can't wait to see your submissions for the next!

The first photo was:

Wednesday, December 01, 1999

My brother, Scott, is currently working at an upstart web company (not many of them out there) and decided it'd be cool to buy a frog at Wal-Mart, keep it at work, and point a webcam on it. How original! Anyway, said frog didn't have a name and Julie would have none of that. She named our iguana, Buddy, when we got him my senior year in high school and so she was determined to do the same with the frog...

Today, she decided on "Roberta". Hooray! 12/1/1999 12:00:25 AM .:. | Discuss