Some great computer animation

This is a an incredibly well-done short film, both in direction and technical skill/artistry. I found it quite moving. Then again, I find Chicken Run quite moving. When the plane lifts off the ground - gets me every time. If I weren't male and it weren't ridiculous for a guy to be crying over a bunch of claymation chickens, I'd start bawling at that point. Doll Face Here are a couple more great computer animations, with no story, human element or emotional impact but well done and fun to watch. It's also interesting because it was created with software from animusic.com. I think you create the 3D model, animate the different parts once and assign the animated 3D parts to instruments and pitches, feed it a midi stream of a song, and it animates your 3D world in time with the music. Automated Disney magic. Animusic example - robot viking ship stringed-instrument thing Animusic example - Pipe Dream 2

My Nerve Profile

In time honored tradition, I'm posting my latest online dating profile (nerve.com), partly because my friend wanted to read an example, and partly because I enjoy writing the profiles more than the dating. I have no idea if it's an effective profile (though the women that have written have started off by saying that it's funny), or if I'm any sort of authority just because I've met every woman in Manhattan, but I hate to throw away anything I write so here it is. My handle on the site is ClichesOnlyPlz - if you're a cute young single woman in New York with a gentle sense of humor and an open mind please say hello. I think I tend to write too much, but that's me - when I get going I have a hard time stopping, in writing and in speech. Think Geoffrey Rush in Shine. My brother's profile is much shorter and more intriguing. Unfortunately for me, the key to attraction seems to be saying less, not more. But I gotta be me - I say more. Under "Why You Should Get To Know Me":

Kay, some quickies about me, not gonna be witty, just gonna lay it out there in thirty seconds and maybe it'll give you some idea of the whirlwind of playboy luxury that is my life. I write software for HBO. I run a volunteer tutoring program for kids in Harlem - if you need help in algebra let me know. I'm in a figure drawing class at SVA and I'm doing pretty well; I do better on the less attractive models because I'm better able to objectify them into negative space when in my mind I'm not so busy fondling the positive space. I also tend to obsess over the really pretty ones (there have only been a couple of those; well, one) because I feel like I have to get them on paper perfectly before they're gone. I'm in an artificial intelligence class at Columbia, in which we're learning how a computer can tell the difference between a male and a female. I think this may be useful information for some people in the class as well. I'm in an improv class at Magnet theater, just started this week and so far we just flap around and make noises at each other like loony birds. I'm very nervous about it actually; we do a show at the end. I'm taking the class to become more free and confident. Not that I'm not Charlton Heston already - women ovulate at the sound of my voice most of the time - but every little bit helps. Kay, that's all I got, time for bed. Peace out - hotties welcome but please wait your turn.

And in the "What I'm Looking For" section:

Surprise me. I prefer pussycats to panthers, at least on the inside. Must enjoy kissing, cuddling, learning, reading, dancing, teasing, brainstorming the ridiculous and generally rolling around like koala bears together. And no republicans. Not even hot republicans. Addendum: I want it all. Someone that makes me feel great and who feels great with me. We're silly and happy and proud of each other and can't wait to be alone and naked together. Someone to murmur hilarious things to and get fits of the giggles with at completely inappropriate moments. We have fun even if the subway hasn't come for 20 minutes. My pulse picks up when you smile and my blood pressure drops when you hold my hand. We know we've struck gold. People that meet us know we've struck gold. Dr. Phil can kiss our ass. We know we'll still be intellectually and emotionally stimulating to each other when we're 70. We have real intimacy, the kind where we can tickle each other from across a room. Your face makes my heart feel like a balloon. Your body has another inflammatory effect. We know when the other is full of crap and we trust each other to let us know. We have no instinct to control each other. We feel no doubt. We believe in each other. We're alive. Until that day though, how about a drink?

Why JDate Is a Complete Disaster

Someone just emailed asking whether JDate is as bad as I make it sound. Yes. From female friends on JDate I've heard a number of horror stories, all of which entail an arrogant guy feeling entitled and treating them badly. My experience on JDate is that the women are fiercely practical, to a barbaric degree in my mind, about their dating lives. It is heartless to me and I had to leave - it was giving me a very unhealthy view of women. Here's the problem at its core. Jewish women, on JDate anyway, are generally looking for a Jewish man to raise Jewish children with. Jewish men, like all men, are looking for sex and love. I don't think too many men put having children higher on the list than the sex and love. Not all women do either, but woman strike me as far more practical about love than men. Men just love. We don't care what your salary is or whether you've found your path in life yet. We're happy to love you along the way. So, imagine you're a Jewish male. When I meet an attractive Jewish girl, I find some way to get it out there that I'm Jewish within about half a minute. Usually this isn't difficult, as the young woman is trying to derive this information pretty actively on her own (well, if I'm lucky - if she's not attracted to me this is all out the window). It's a bit tacky to simply ask, but Jewish culture provides a billion ways to get it out there in casual conversation through some kind of joke. Now, still imagining you're a Jewish male, pretend you are presented with two hot young women, one of whom is Jewish, the other not, and both of them seem to want to jump your bones. Which is scarier? To me it's the one I know for a fact is looking for someone to drive their kids to Sunday school. Not that non-Jewish women are only looking for fun - obviously that's not true - and not that Jewish women aren't looking for fun - everyone is - but for most Jewish women around 30, on JDate anyway, there is an agenda and there is little time for distraction. So now imagine a website where the one thing you know about (almost) everyone is that they're Jewish. So you have guys that know that being Jewish gives them huge points, nearly unbeatable points, with a Jewish woman (at least over non-Jewish men, drastically reducing the pool of competition), and women that are highly motivated to make things work, to the point that they'll pay 40 bucks a month for it - $10-15 more than any other site. (Although many women just hide their email or IM name in their profile knowing that guys will go the extra mile and write to them if she's cute enough. Guys cannot get away with this - to a girl he's cheap. Although even there, the best relationship I got out of JDate was months after I cancelled my account but had left my email address hidden backwards in my profile and a girl emailed me out of the blue. The girl of my dreams will most likely contact (or approach) me first). One unfortunate result of all this earnestness and such high stakes is that all the profiles (female anyway; I haven't read the male profiles) are nearly identical. They're all living life to the fullest, they all try to get the most out of the city that it has to offer, they all love to laugh (does anyone not like to laugh?), they're all silly but sometimes serious, they're all close with their families (this may be uniquely Jewish, I don't know - most Jews are fairly close with their families), they all love to go dancing but can also make it a Blockbuster night, and many, many of them begin their profiles with "I am" and then a list of adjectives, almost invariably smart, silly, serious, full of energy, ambitious, caring. Hello! McFly! Show, don't tell! You wouldn't tolerate that bland bullshit from a guy's profile. Also, many of them, for reasons I can only guess at, state that they're cute, attractive, sexy, beautiful, something along those lines. I'm looking at your picture for god's sake, what are you telling me? The other unfortunate result from what friends tell me is that many guys on JDate behave in person like assholes. One of my friend's dates left before they sat down for coffee because he wasn't attracted to her. I hate that guy - really hurt my friend's feelings. Another, a doctor, ended the date with a friend of mine by standing up and saying "I recommend you delineate some goals for yourself", and left. Who do these dicks think they are? Goal-oriented dating, and hence JDate, is a recipe for disaster. I recommend nerve.com though - most people there are much more chill and willing to get to know new people regardless of the outcome. Much healthier and much more fun for everybody. And I'll bet many more happy relationships come of it. Though nothing beats meeting naturally in person. It trumps everything.