good morning canada

so yea. i really like italian pizza.
um...i AM working on the murmanks 15 min video now, but im still only halfway done and i have two more days before i need to present a rough draft. it'll take at least two days to get joey caught up and trained before he can be much use. so yea, im officially stressed.

in other news. i ran out of milk this morning, and in discovering this i threw the carton away and hit my head on the bottom of the cabinet. i think that'll be number 8 within three days.

im really getting tired of windows, and ive tried multiple versions of linux but never really found one that suits me. im really getting tired of mac users too. its not just the machine/os, even people seem to go rotten when they convert to macism. can anyone give me some advice on a good unix distro? thanks. i really am on a dry spell right now, and dont have much to write about. so ill just wrap this up and promise to post something interesting in the very near future. *pinky promise*

ok so, пака.

a lovely bunch of coconuts

so yeah, joey arrived yesterday. that was nice, except xenia bailed on us and we couldn't do that thing. which sucked.

um, not a whole lot to say except that its about to get real busy. and i still haven't finished the godfather. but im going to try to tonight. we're all still here in moscow for the weekend and will go back tonight after church. OH! and i found the one chinese resturaunt in all of tver!

ok bye.

you're a princess!

ok so ive been having alot of people as of late asking me about how i download movies/tv/music/etc. just so you know--its NOT illegal. im sorry, i really am sorry to burst your bubble but its not. no matter what the government tries to brainwash into you. all the other cases where people have been fined were only when there were other factors involved besides personal/non-profit gain. plus, those people screwed over were NOT using bittorent sources. bittorent distributes information in a way that the government can not touch it...

heres a segment taken from wiki:

There are two major differences between BitTorrent and many other peer-to-peer
file-trading systems, which advocates suggest make it less useful to those
sharing copyrighted material without authorization. First, BitTorrent itself
does not offer a search facility to find files by name. A user must find the
initial torrent file by other means, such as a web search. Second, BitTorrent
makes no attempt to conceal the host ultimately responsible for facilitating the
sharing: a person who wishes to make a file available must run a tracker on a
specific host or hosts and distribute the tracker address(es) in the .torrent
file. Because it is possible to operate a tracker on a server that is located in
a jurisdiction where the copyright holder cannot take legal action, the protocol
does offer some vulnerability that other protocols lack. It is far easier to
request that the server's ISP shut down
the site than it is to find and identify every user sharing a file on a
peer-to-peer network. However, with the use of a distributed hash
table (DHT), trackers are no longer required, though often used for client
software that does not support DHT to connect to the stream.

so basically, they can raid all the tracker servers they like, but they cant find the shares--we download 100% annoynomously. =) kiss it.

another from wiki:

A BitTorrent client is any program which implements the BitTorrent protocol.
Each client is capable of preparing, requesting, and transmitting any type of computer
file over a network, using the protocol. A peer is any computer running an
instance of a client.
To share a file or group of files, a peer first
creates a "torrent." This is a small file which contains metadata about the files to be
shared, and about the tracker, the computer
that coordinates the file distribution. Peers that want to download the file first obtain
a torrent file for it, and connect to the specified tracker which tells them
from which other peers to download the pieces of the file.
Though both
ultimately transfer files over a network, a BitTorrent download differs from a
classic full-file HTTP request in several fundamental ways:
BitTorrent makes
many small P2P requests over different TCP sockets, while web-browsers typically
make a single HTTP GET request over a single TCP socket.
BitTorrent
downloads in a random or "rarest-first" approach that ensures high availability,
while HTTP downloads in a contiguous manner.

BitTorrent 4.0.4
running under Windows XP
Taken together, BitTorrent achieves much lower
cost, much higher redundancy, and much greater resistance to abuse or "flash
crowds" than a regular HTTP server. However, this protection comes at a cost:
downloads take time to ramp up to full speed because these many peer connections
take time to establish, and it takes time for a node to get sufficient data to
become an effective uploader. As such, a typical BitTorrent download will
gradually ramp up to very high speeds, and then slowly ramp back down toward the
end of the download. This contrasts with an HTTP server that, while more
vulnerable to overload and abuse, ramps up to full speed very quickly and
maintains this speed throughout.
In general, BitTorrent's non-contiguous
download methods prevented it from supporting "progressive downloads" or
"streaming playback". But recent comments by Bram Cohen and new
developments by Red Swoosh suggest that streaming torrent downloads will
soon be commonplace.

----------------------
Ok so here's the tutorial:

1. Make some coffee.
2. Turn on some of your favorite music.
3. Goto utorrent.com, and download the application(there are others, but this is my fav')
4. Set up a proxy connection(forwarding a port is better but im too lazy to explain it)...goto proxy4free.com, and copy an address and port from the public list....go into utorrent and select options-->preferences, click the connection. under proxy server select http, then insert the address/port numbers you got from the list.
5. now goto isohunt.com and search for something you want.
6. once it gives you some results, select sort seeds high to low
7. select something with alot of seeders(itll go faster)
8. click download torrent.
9. wait.
10. tada! you're done.

so yea, thats it. for video files i recommend using vlc.

------------------------

anywho, im in moscow now, so i get no signal at amy's flat--so email if you need something.

tootles

one small step for man...yep thats it.

Ok, so i woke up early this morning so i could shower, dress, wash dishes from last night, and start a download all before class at 10:10. well, it turns out that i dont have class till 12 today. rrr... so yea, after i finish watching the season finale of lost(woot), im going to write up a utorrent/bittorent tutorial for your downloading pleasure tomorrow morning.



in the meantime...



liverpool lost last night *tear* to italy. and as a result my friend from london got so drunk he puked in his shoe. i find that ammusing. i still dont know why people get drunk, maybe because everytime they get drunk, they forget how much it sucked because they were so bloody drunk...hmm....I also found the production blog of the director of the tv series Heroes. its very interesting: http://gregbeeman.blogspot.com/



i got a new door on my flat today. it has a door KNOB. which is the first one ive seen since last may. I also start some scetches of a new script im writing and i think ill start a sub-blog about that process, but keep it hidden until i actually have some significant makings.

ok so now im leaving. tootles.

the north pole...almost

The following is a teaser promo clip from the murmanks expedition...please link and share it...


or click here for better quality.

So I pretty much spent the entire digging through, looking for that tape that I shot when I made my virgin voyage across the Volga on foot. Although--to my disappointment, it was stashed in a huge box full of other tapes that I had failed to label. Then, of course, after going through every single bloody tape, I found the one I was looking for at the very end. Then I realized that I should probably go back again and label all of those others as well…anywho, that was my day, how was yours dear?

Random thought of the day
I am currently a missionary in training. I am completely in love Christ my savior. I consider myself NOT a ‘baby christian’, or whatever the heck the Baptists call them…
I enjoy wine for dinner once a week. and a beer or two on the weekends. Shoot me. Its good. It’s legal. Although, yes I suppose I am guilty of the eleventh commandment:

Thou shall take heed to culturally based, close minded, assumptions of stereotypes that have only been in place for the past 100 years of the THOUSANDS that are currently behind us since it is important to hold on to those illogical ideas that will be dead within the next generation.
Have a nice day, please come again.

The following is a cold day in January that I promised to show my mother a long time ago…


or just click and save this

rollin, rollin, rollin

i moved out of my homestay today. my new dorm room is HUGE! ill post pics when i get my camera back from moscow.

ok bye

I need new pants.

Currently watching: The Godfather part 3
Currently reading: A Space trilogy part 3 by C.S. Lewis(good lord, thats a ton of lewis lately!?)
Currently listening to: Artist--The Almost

Ok, so i ment to post the video today but I forgot to bring it to school. shoot me--ill post it tomorrow. If anyone has any suggestions on balancing fluorescent overheads with daylight(WITHOUT THOSE BLOODY EXPENSIVE FILTERS!), let me know.

BTW, i finally learned how to install this freaking php/sgl statistics engine the other day the server(i think ill start calling it The Oz, since its a host server that i love, yet have never actually seen, and it basically rules my electrnoic life). Also, tryout the new phone-text tool on the side of this page.--yes, it really does text/sms my real phone here in Russia for free. let me know how it goes.

so anyways, The Oz it is. Hooraa!

Intermission

I ran into a tree today. that was fun too.

Question of they day:
Why do people still you internet explorer?
Because:
A) Firefox sucks at marketing(so does your mum)
B) People don't know how to download things(*cough*my parents*cough*)
C) Nobody knows where to get it(GOOGLE--> search FIREFOX. there--no more excuses)
D) IE rocks!(you're retarded)

So yesterday I met a guy named Lon, who works for OMS international shooting photog all over the planet. Nice guy. good shots. here's his blog site: www.lonosborn.blogspot.com.
Im also going to try to find the time this week to post a bittorent tutorial in my own words. so all you people that keep asking me how to do it will leave me alone.


I'm moving out tomorrow, back to the dorm. What scent toilet cleaner should I buy this week? Suggestions? thanks.

ok, i have more important things to do now--so do you. get to it.

Curry Sauce is healthy. Don't argue with me.

Currently watching: Still bloody The God Father (part 2)
Currently listening to: Artist- Hopesfall
Currently reading: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Ok, so now im out of church now and its hot. not like alabam hot or anything. like maybe 25-30C. just enough to miss winter. its soo crazy wierd because this town looks so different without snow. this is the first time ive seen it green!
Well, some new kids came to town today. Dave and Hanna Hinson and their kids...
WAIT--i actually remembered their names...this is the part where you applaud.

intermission
heres some really good movies i recently saw..
The Fountain

The Prestige
The Pursuit of Happyness(yes, with a 'y')

Anywho, the Hinsons are from the great britain, and arrived last tuesday-ish. They'll also be studying at tver state university and working with Sergey's church here for a while. so thats cool. maybe ill get some babysitting jobs...I hope i dont regret that later.

Update: Ive got 36 minutes(plus credits) left in The Godfather, part 2. *bow* I also have some fun new videos to post tomorrow. Joey arrives on Saturday at 13:30, so whoever wants to meet him when he arrives--we're all meeting on the Речной Вокзал platform at 13:00.
ok im leaving now. i had more to write, but now im hungry. although im not sure what i want to eat. suggestions anyone? thanks, love.

P.S. heres a photo i promised my mum the other day.

The Beginning

Currently Listening to: Artist- Say Anything
Currently Watching: The Godfather(part 2)
Currently Reading: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

So I woke up this morning after sleeping in for the first time in approx. 2.5 months, when all of a sudden I had the brilliant idea of strolling down to the internet cafe(since saturday mornings cost less*woot*) and start a blog.

-because i can-

My name is Stephen Aaron Brock. I am 18 years currently occupying this planet, and it's been pretty nice for the most part. On July the 6th, 2007, its will be 19 years. I live in a city of 500,000 souls entitled Tver(Тверь). It is located inside the Russian Federation located within 2 hours by train north from Moscow City(9+ million souls). I am currently studying Russian History/Language, in preparation to become a part-time missionary here specializing in a Film/Photography/Audio ministry operation. My University major is Film, with a minor in Russian Linguistics. I speak English primarily, and a moderate amount of German and Russian. This blog will be primarily written in the English language. I am a son, brother, uncle(of almost 5 little ones), and a royal screw-up. Working with me is a pain sometimes because I have the memory capacity of a gold fish with alzheimer's, and i tend to procrastinate...alot. Although, I make a good omelet and have seen every episode of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, The Office, and Lost. So that makes me cool....

Whenever I am behind on things--which is most of the time--I tend to bend the truth, or avoid a direct answer, or perhaps simply make an excuse as to why i cannot present my progress at the requested moment. So part of the reasoning for this blog is for my own accountability.

Confessions of the Week:

Fact: I am suppose to have a rough draft finished this weekend of the recent trip to Murmansk to show to my boss in moscow. Fact: I have completed the teaser(3min) of this project as requested. Fact: I have not even started on the 15 min rough draft. Fact: I am glade that I am not able to go to Moscow this weekend since it would mean I would have to admit to this procrastination.

Current happenings:
Aside from the Murmansk promo videos. I am working on getting through The Godfather. I am halfway through the second part, I watched 30 min last night before falling asleep from boredom.
I am looking forward to monday since I will able to start a torrent for the next episode of Heroes, Lost, and The Office.
I am moving out of my home stay on tuesday back to the student dorm. I am looking forward to it, even though i enjoyed my brief time with a host family, I am ready to get back to a more independent life again(and have the conveniences of living downtown =).

Oh yea....I study at tver state university and work in moscow on the weekends for AGAPE medical doing promotional video work.

anyways, im going home now. Ill blog after my move probably.

P.S.
I do not check spelling or proof read. So please no smart-arse comments on grammer! thanks пупсик!