Ten Megabytes

Lacking time and motivation to continue blogging

2011-06-05T09:29:00.002-05:00

the time has come to turn this blog over to the youngest member of the household. With that said, I make my final curtain call, exit the stage and the "Blogger spotlight", opting for a less visible role here.

So I figure that by now...

2011-04-20T21:28:00.002-05:00

no one ever reads this blog anymore. It's a fresh start for "Ten Megabytes"! So much has happened since my last post in 20???? I'll fill you in..

para mi gente

2009-07-05T04:51:00.000-05:00

Growing out some "glosso"

2009-06-05T08:19:00.003-05:00

The potted "glosso" I purchased was weak. At $4.99/pot, it was definitely overpriced considering the condition of the plant. Regardless, I took a pot home, planted whatever I could save and let it grow. Here it is after about a month in a 2.5 gallon farm tank. I CO2 inject the tank with a DIY setup and a glass diffuser. The filter is the smallest Penn Plax Cascade (modified with an appropriately sized Aquaclear sponge), and I use a Coralife Compact Florescent fixture with two 6700K tubes. Slow to grow, I may have a nice specimen in several months.

For real...

2008-10-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

Yikes! That dude was soooo sketchy!

2008-10-21T00:28:00.001-05:00

"Buddha's" visit to my city...

2008-04-29T08:10:00.003-05:00

... brought out Chinese Nationals who protested outside the arena while the Dali Lama addressed a large crowd inside. Waving flags and praising their homeland, I wonder if the irony of the situation ever sunk in. Such a demonstration would never be allowed to take place in their own country.
Meanwhile, a homegrown rebel used spraypaint to express his political ideology in a local park. Beside the two paintings here, two more masterpieces, both far more radical and politically volatile, adorned a different building. I expect to see many more new, sparkling "Free Tibet" bumperstickers adorning minivans full of kids on their way to soccer practice in the coming months.

So, I downloaded a trial version of...

2008-04-06T02:02:00.003-05:00

...Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 2 and have 15 days to play with it. I sketched this rat using the trial version, saved it, took it to Photoshop for inking, and colored it in Corel's Painter. I want to fool around a bit with Sketchbook Pro more and compare it to the other programs I use frequently.

A lesson from Slick

2008-04-02T17:43:00.007-05:00

Over a year ago, a friend and co-worker sent me a humorous e-mail after experiencing one of those "drama days" at work. The e-mail included an attachment, a relevant panel from a comic strip called "Sinfest", that I really liked. A quick "Googlesearch" led me to the Sinfest Archives. I spent a lot of time reading the entire collection, and these days, the newest panel is one of the first things I check out after logging on to the internet every morning. The premise of "Sinfest" is unique and entertaining and makes me admire the creative genius and artistic talent of the artist, Tatsuya Ishida. In fact, I'm such a big fan of the comic strip that I learned a very valuable lesson from it that applies to virtually any endeavor one can undertake in life. I'll share that insight with you now.
Below, I'm posting the first Sinfest strip in the archives. Check out how both characters, Slick and the Devil, are drawn. In fact, notice how the entire scene is drawn.

This next strip appeared in 2004, four years after Sinfest debuted. Both the look and of the strip is dramatically different. The characters are drawn better, they're posed, and Tatsuya is using a negative silhouette in the third panel for a dramatic effect that is aesthetically appealing. There's a tremendous change, great improvement, while staying true to the original premise.

Now check out two recent panels from 2008. Specifically, note how The Devil and Slick are drawn and compare them to the first image posted above.

Both remain true to the original design but are far more sophisticated and developed than when they first appeared.

The characters and layouts evolved, improving with time, effort, and passion. I'm certain that it took a lot of hard work for Ishida to get to this point, but it's been well worth it as the results are magnificent! The lesson is about preserverance and diligence paying off.

Experimenting with background painting

2008-03-22T12:09:00.002-05:00

Is anybody out there?

2008-03-17T03:49:00.001-05:00

Just a little doodle

2008-03-15T13:57:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T13:17:00.001-05:00

Tantor

2008-01-04T19:04:00.001-05:00

Construction and gesture

2007-12-23T13:58:00.000-05:00

2007-12-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

Fooling around with perspective

2007-12-08T14:01:00.000-05:00

...if you've ever been to this diner, you'll recognize it immediately.

LOL! It's true

2007-12-07T10:14:00.001-05:00

Just wasting some time this morning...

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Northeast
The South
The Midland
Philadelphia
North Central
The West
Boston
What American accent do you have?Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

A pretty girl....

2007-11-17T15:54:00.001-05:00

Today, I have to provide a link to Pete Emslie's blog The Cartoon Cave. His blog is regular reading for me and I happily (and anxiously) wait for new posts. I also own several books that Pete has illustrated . Reading that Pete teaches animation at Sheridan College, my first thought was of his students and their good fortune in being able to learn from such a talented artist. My envy was intensifying, heading toward outright jealousy when Pete's lesson "how to draw a cute girl" appeared and I got to feel like I was one of those lucky students. I watched each of the three attached videos numerous times before sitting down at the drawing table with pencils and paper. I even printed out the final drawing, keeping it handy, as a reference tool.
I started out with a blue Col-erase pencil to block in the basic shapes, refining, and adding detail,with a black Col-erase. Honestly, I wasn't as interested in producing a "perfect copy" of Pete's drawing as I was in learning how he laid down the lines that made up his "cute girl". It took quite a few attempts and I have a bag of wadded up paper balls to drop off in the recycle bin this afternoon. Finally, I used a Design Ebony pencil for the cleaned up drawing.

After scanning the drawing, I cleaned it up again in Photoshop, optimizing it so that I could import it into Toon Boom Studio and vectorize it.

2007-10-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

big bad wolf

2007-10-06T01:41:00.000-05:00

Spike, Butch, Generic....

Two Ducks for construction

2007-10-05T23:04:00.001-05:00

Circles

2007-09-30T15:20:00.000-05:00

In a nutshell, construction is based on the circle so I took 15 minutes to warm up by practicing to draw circles using my digital tablet and Corel's Painter IX.5 program.

2007-09-30T12:33:00.001-05:00

In a September 2007 post, "John Kricfalusi" outlined the structure of a "cartoon class" emphasizing the key elements he would teach aspiring animators. It's not surprising to anyone who regularly reads John's blog , that he begins with "character construction" as the first lesson, especially since "construction" is also the first lesson in Kricfalusi's "$100,000 Animation Course". Taking John's advice seriously, I'll explore construction during October 2007 and, in doing so, I'll utilize a variety of reference material that I've collected in my "animation library". Of course, my collection includes the Preston Blair books "Animation 1" and "Cartoon Animation", they are the classics. However, I've come across many other more obscure, less well known, instructional cartoon and animation books that are just as useful and informative and I'll be referencing them, often for the sake of variety, as well. Let's get started!

Drawing Disney

2007-08-31T14:58:00.000-05:00

Just a few doodles I whipped out of Pluto and Goofy so that I could practice construction. I also wanted to practice with both Corel Painter X and my Wacom tablet. There's more of this stuff on the drawing table.

Woo Hoo! I'm rich at last....

2007-08-27T08:12:00.000-05:00

I received notice that I am a National Publisher's Sweepstakes Winner!!

"From the office of: Senator David MarkSenate President Federal Republic of Nigeria
RE: PAYMENT NOTIFICATION ON APPROVED ENTITLEMENT FUND(US$30,000,000.00)

Dear Sir,

This is to notify you that your over due entitlement fund has beengazetted to be released to you after the summit meeting held at theFederal Government capital territory (Abuja) in which an indoor meetingwas held between my government,International Monetary Fund (IMF), WorldBank Auditors, representatives of the European Union, Asian andAmerican Congress respectively concerning the debts owed to foreigners.
It was agreed that all the beneficiaries under the category "A" willreceive the sum of Thirty Million United StatesDollars (US$30,000,000.00) as approved and endorsed by all the parties present inthe summit. Be informed that your name was stipulated under the category"A" awaiting the receipt of his payment.Therefore, you are advised as a matter of urgency, to reconfirm thefollowing details:

YOUR FULL NAMES:...................
CORRESPONDING ADDRESS:..............
TELEPHONE / FAX NAUMBERS:............
MOBILE PHONE:.................
OCCUPATION/POSITION:.................
AGE/MARITAL STATUS................
OCCUPATION/POSITION..............

Note that if you have received this message by(electronic email sendingerror) to your system, kindly help us by informing us to enable us sortthis out as my office has been instructed by the Presidency to take theissues of the release of all payment owed to foreign beneficiaries uponherself in order to sanitize the image of this country as the present government will be handing over power to the new upcoming government come May 29th, 2007 andthis government will not want to leave without the settlement of all debts as agreed / endorsed by the parties involved. It will interest you to know that as soon as we receive the above details, we will commence with all needed necessary legal procedures and issue all payments details to you, in order to approve the release of your long over due entitlement fund, as our government wants to rebuild confidence in International Cooperation and International Financial system.I want you to understand that this arrangement supersedes all theprevious arrangements given to you. Nevertheless, if we do not hear from youwithin the next seven (7) working days from today, it shall attractindefinite postponement of your payment and my government will not beblamed for such action, any question should be directed to this office. The federal government of Nigeria is sorry for any inconvenience the delay in releasing your entitlement fund must have caused you as a result of unprofessional services rendered by the banking and financial institutes and that is our aim of objective.

Best Regards,Senator David Mark (FEDEREL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA)"

Step One: just a sketch

2007-08-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Long Time, No See!

2007-03-20T17:34:00.000-05:00

Finally finished!

2006-10-27T12:40:00.000-05:00

... for three weeks, I've been whittling away at a home improvement project. Tools in hand, I began cleaning, scrubbing, and making repairs. Next, three gallons of off white semi gloss interior latex were rolled and brushed onto the walls. As the paint dried, I vaccummed and shampooed the carpet. Throughout this project, I repeatedly filled a large Rubbermaid trash container with mysterious junk that accumulated during my stay here. I made several trips to the dumpster, returning to fill it over and over. The more clutter and junk I got rid of, the more ruthless I became in doing so. Possessions abandoned by former roommates, knick knacks, souveniers, old toys, and cobweb collecting decorations were tossed with little regard. It felt good and looked even better!
... in the process of cleaning and organizing, a small art studio emerged, centered around my drawing table. All my art supplies, materials, and reference books are now in one place, easily accessible for when I work. The computer station underwent the same transformation and compliments the studio nicely. I can go from the drawing table to the computer with no problem now, giving me high hopes for increased productivity this winter.
... this weekend, our observation of daylight savings time ends as we turn back the clock an hour before retiring Saturday night. It will start getting dark earlier and earlier, and, toward the middle of December, the sunset will come before 5 p.m.. Long, cold, snowy nights lay ahead and having a comfortable attractive environment only helps in surviving the season.

Chat about this!

2006-10-19T03:43:00.000-05:00

There've been a few new DVD releases...

2006-10-13T12:52:00.000-05:00

... in the past few months that, much to my surprise, have gone unnoticed by most of the "animation bloggers" I read. These releases include: "The Boondocks", "Curious George, and "Ed, Edd, N Eddy - The Complete First Season". A lot of these bloggers focus on either "classic" animation or promoting their own projects so it gets easier to understand why they would ignore these DVD's. With time, however, all of these titles are destined to become "classics".
... "The Boondocks" is based on a comic strip by Aaron McGruder and is a series that appears on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim". It's a "Flash" cartoon, drawn anime or Manga style. It's hip and edgey. You won't see a lot of squash and stretch here as the show relies on "pose to pose" animation rather than "frame by frame" technique. The artwork is awesome though, and the storylines are hilarious social commentaries and observations. The three disc set is definitely adult content.
... "Curious George" is undoubtedly destined to become a "classic". It has suberb artwork, great animation, and a wonderful storyline. The movie just grabs ahold of a kid's attention and doesn't let go. James Baxter is listed in the credits and deserves recognition for this film.
...Ed, Edd, n Eddy are just plain fun! This is a cartoon I watch with my 85 year old father. A very serious man, I catch him smiling and chuckling over the trio's antics. At first, the show was a bit confusing for him as he asked, "Which one's Ed?" It doesn't help that we have family members named Ed and Eddy either, but he eventually figured it out. This show has style, it uses traditional animation techniques, and the stories are funny. It's no surprise that it is one of Cartoon Networks most popular shows.
... all of the DVD's mentioned contain "Special Features" in the tradition of "Backstage Disney" in which fans are shown how the cartoon was made. "The Boondocks" has downloadable storyboards - a priceless resource for aspiring animators and filmmakers. There's also an animatic segment included. "Curious George" is the most similiar to a Backstage Disney feature and includes a look at storyboards and a section called "Draw George". Likewise, Ed, Edd, n Eddy provides a drawing lesson about drawing Eddy and has a "How to make an Ed, Edd, n Eddy Cartoon" segment. Unfortunately, this is more of a comedy skit than the much more informative segment included on "The Mis-"Ed" Ventures" DVD.

"Got that yard done, boy?!!"

2006-10-04T15:03:00.000-05:00

For the past month or so...

2006-09-29T16:04:00.000-05:00

... blogging basically took a "back seat" while I enjoyed the dwindling days of late summer and early fall. People from "northern climates" are painfully aware that summer is a short season. They also know that it's essential to enjoy the good weather while it's here. Just a week after the "official" start of autumn, the first frost arrived last night, leaving windshields iced over as we headed out in the chilly morning air. It wasn't a severe frost, a few passes from the wipers quickly cleared away all the evidence, but many more, and much worse, mornings like this lay ahead.
... I transitioned from spring to summer with some specific goals in mind. First,I was intent on learning how to animate in Flash. The manuals I ordered on Amazon started arriving one by one. They kept coming until my mail carrier tired of climbing three flights of stairs to set each book neatly in front of my door and began tossing them from the landing of the second floor. I'd slip these books into my backpack and head downtown on my bike, reading them in the parks, outdoor cafes, coffeehouses, and restaurants. Back home, I'd stay up late, following the tutorials. It was a good strategy because I actually learned. Encouraged by the progress I ordered manuals for other programs that I own as well.
... another goal for summer was to improve my drawing skills, I carried a sketchbook and pencils in the backpack, sketching out many "gesture drawings" while downtown. These 30 second exercises helped me understand form, anatomy, figure drawing, and posture as I drew sketches of people crossing the street, window shopping, ordering a latte, or carrying an umbrella in the rain. I visited the art department of the local university, learning about the University of Michigan's nationally ranked "Communications" program in the process. I got copies of class syllabuses and lists of required textbooks, again searching Amazon to get copies of these books to study over the winter!
... before long, we'll be turning our clocks back for daylight savings time and sunset will come earlier and earlier. The holidays will arrive, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas and New Year. We'll be shivering, trying to keep warm beneath layers of quilts and blankets as the snow piles up outside. I intend to have a good book by my side the whole time.

Immersion

2006-08-27T13:10:00.000-05:00

... the past several weeks have been absolutely gorgeous here. The temperatures are comfortable, the sky is clear and blue, and most important, the sun is shining. It would be a sin to let these precious days go to waste so when I am not working, I am out on the new bicycle. When I go out riding during the day, I always have my backpack strapped on. It's sort of a "traveling studio" that I load with a sketchbook, a pencil pouch, a folder (containing a fresh legal pad), a digital camera, and something relevant to read.
... when I say "relevant reading material", I mean something related to the animation process. Usually, the subject matter is something tied to the "non-drawing" element of animation, such as storytelling or film making. I have several great reference books related to that subject and I'm devouring them in the cafes and parks along my route. It's not unusual for me, at some point during a ride, to end up on the campus of the University of Michigan to take advantage of the endless resources available there.
... The Museum of Natural History is a favorite destination and I visit often. Here is an interesting photo essay about a restoration project involving the Puma's that grace the museums entrance. In fact, I visit the museum so frequently that I was able to watch staff members put together a Mastadon skeleton on the first floor. Don't even try to get near the dinosaur exhibit on a weekday during the regular schoolyear. You will be fighting for a view with hoardes of schoolkids from all over the state! This is even more interesting because they recently uncovered another Mastadon skeleton in a field within walking distance of my childhood home.
... I also enjoy visiting the University of Michigan Museum of Art. It has become my habit to explore the exhibitions, become enamored and obsessed with the display and return to view it again. I discover something new on the next visit and it becomes my new obsession! There is enough inside this museum to keep me content while the Detroit Institute of the Arts undergoes a much needed renovation!

Craig's List Rulz...

2006-08-06T15:29:00.000-05:00

... once again, I got a wonderful deal off of Craig's List. Back in March, I found a beautiful drawing/drafting table up for sale at an extraordinary price and I bought it. This weekend, it was my good fortune to find an equally exceptional deal on a mountain bike. I picked it up early this morning.
... the bike is about 10 years old, but in incredible shape. The owner told me that he only rode it a few times before it ended up hanging on a rack in the garage. The speedometer confirms this, with a grand total of 38 miles recorded! Other than needing some lubrication on the chain and sprockets, the bike appears to be brand new. I jumped on the bike when I got home and took a short ride to just to check things out. I'll adjust the seat, oil the chain, and start riding seriously again.
... now, notice that I said "riding seriously again". The fact is that this bicycle is actually the fourth one I've owned. I arrived in town with an old Raleigh "English Racer" 10 speed that had already seen better days when I got here. After replacing bent rims a couple of times, I sold the Raleigh and got a new "all terrain" bike. Late one November night, under very suspicious circumstances, all the bikes in the yard were stolen. We have ideas about the who, what, when, where, how, and why, but the bottom line is that those bikes were never seen again. Anticipating a similiar theft, I replaced the stolen bike with a cheap generic model that I never liked very much. A perfect example of the axiom, "You get what you pay for", the bike fell apart, rusted out, became unsafe, and was disposed of. At long last, it's replaced.
... I figure that I'll start out with some short jaunts around the neighborhood after my morning coffee. I'll do the nearby errands that I'd normally just jump in the truck for by bicycle. A week or two of that should build up some kind of endurance and leg strength. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an invalid by any means, but by the end of my little test ride this morning, I felt some burning in my legs and know better than to go at this full force all at once. I want to put more than 38 miles on the bike, after all! I'll keep you updated.

I found the previous animation...

2006-08-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

... on "YouTube" when I entered "calarts animation" as the keyword. Of all the animations I watched, this one really grabbed my attention. I was looking for rough material, projects that would provide a deeper look into the process of producing an animated short. There are a number of elements in this one that I found interesting and helpful.
... first, the drawing grabbed my attention. While there were some complex drawings in the film, such as the tree in the beginning and the tree with the cicada, the rest of the drawings were relatively simple, clean lines. They showed what they needed to show to convey the message without being overly detailed. I loved seeing the way the girl moved, partly transparent at times, showing her motion and movements. Second, I loved the way the story flowed, a perfect example of graphic storytelling or visual narrative. The story didn't need dialogue to carry it. The viewer understands the idea and words aren't necessary to convey the idea.
... anyway, I hope I find more projects like this as I study and learn. They're not only educational and enlightening, they're inspirational as well!

This is probably...

2006-07-30T14:45:00.000-05:00

... the most spontaneous post I've ever made on Ten Megabytes! Please watch the animation I am posting here and I will be writing about why I am posting it later.

"Look at that!"

2006-07-15T23:22:00.000-05:00

More Drawings

2006-07-12T12:13:00.000-05:00

Going on 2...

2006-07-06T13:50:00.000-05:00

... today, Ten Megabytes celebrates a one year anniversay. Visiting the archives would be the most natural and predictable way to the mark the occasion, much like my fellow blogger at The Iron Scythe did, upon reaching a one year anniversary earlier this week. I have to admit that after reading his entry, I did go back and read early posts published here, but the theme of this entry quickly changed as I did. I'll take advantage of today's opportunity to revisit the mission statement I began this blog with.

Ten Megabytes is intended to be a showcase for my creative ventures into essay, art, photography, video, and more.

... there is no time for looking back, my friends, only time for looking to the future and moving, forward. I feel like an adventurer of yore, Christopher Columbus perhaps, setting sail with a definite course in mind, yet uncertain exactly where the currents, waves, and tides will take me. What can readers expect to see here at Ten Megabytes in the future? I have some ideas.

1.) More links
I visit several blogs regularly and have them bookmarked. Although I mainly lurk, the insight, knowledge, and inspiration these artists and animators provide is absolutely invaluable. For example, such reading has firmly established the concept and importance of gesture drawing both in my mind and hand, thereby improving the quality of my work immeasurably and allowing my personal style to develop and come through.
2.) More drawings
I'm drawing and creating more than ever. That includes drawing traditionally, with pencil and paper at the drawing table, and digitally, on the computer with my Wacom tablet. Besides being more productive, I'm gaining confidence in my abilities. I like what I do more and am increasingly satisfied with the work. I'll be posting my drawings more frequently.
3.) More exploration
My strongest interest, being a bit more specific, is using art to create animations. I plan to learn as much as possible about the many components involved in this process and I will begin by exploring the art of storytelling. Again, this is a starting point and there's no way of determining where this exploration will lead.

It promises to be an exciting and productive second year here!

Friday Scribbles

2006-06-16T14:14:00.000-05:00

... sketched with a Wacom in CorelDraw, imported to Toon Boom Studio and colored.

For whatever it's worth...

2006-05-26T12:54:00.000-05:00

... there is a sketch accompanying this post today. This drawing is slowly evolving into its own scene as a part of a larger project that's to become a part of my online portfolio, and already in the first stages of development. This is something I've been mulling over in my mind for awhile, exploring and tweaking the idea by using some of the script and storyboard development techniques I've studied as of late. The story and message are getting clearer, and more solid, but they still need some work before they're ready.
... when I first signed up for my e-mail account on Yahoo, I also signed up for a "Geocities" webpage so that I could dabble in design arts. I tested my ideas and creations on that page, checking out how things looked and fit together. I practiced writing html code and utilized resources that I came across while surfing or researching. The page underwent many changes and updates until I finally stopped fiddling with it and forget about it altogether. Now, however, it is about to undergo a major overhaul.
... my intent is to produce a website that will serve as an online portfolio. It will be presentable to potential employers as I go searching for professional employment. My goal is to have everything in place by the end of August, giving me 3 months to put it all together - a project for the summer months. I want the site to have both "design" and "content" to showcase competence with software programs along with creative and artistic skills.

2006-05-17T15:40:00.000-05:00

... I've owned a copy of Preston Blair's "Animation 1" for several years and recently acquired a used copy of "Cartoon Animation". I love these books, Blair's style, and, I believe that they need to be in any aspiring animator's reference library. When I discovered these tutorials using the books to teach, I started drawing right along with the lessons. Although I am not sending my work into the professor, I love the idea of using Preston Blair's work to strengthen animation and drawing skills. Like John K., I really believe that (re)learning this "40's style" of drawing and animation could lead to a renewed interest in 2D cartooning. I must admit, however, I don't follow the tutorials to the letter. I mean, I don't superimpose the published image over my drawing in Photoshop to compare and contrast. Instead, I pay attention to the key idea and compare visually, making changes to improve and learn how to do something.
... there's a little dilemna here. I don't want to draw cute little characters that have already been done a million times. I am interested in the fundamental concepts behind the construction of characters though. I think this sentiment is behind some of the bizarre character design I've seen online when I look at other people's work. It appears as if an artist will push to get as far away from those "fluffy little rabbits" and "mischievous chipmunks" as possible. That response all too often compromises the quality of the work. I recently watched something made by a Brazilian animator and his characters lost all appeal when he pushed too hard.
... whenever I go into any version of a "Dollar Store", I can't help but to look at the animation DVD's they offer. The other day I bought one that featured "Superman and other Cartoon Treasures" and had a very modern looking "Man of Steel" on the case. Of course, I was more interested in the "other cartoon treasures", fully aware that the Superman episodes were going to be the Max Fleischer cartoons. I was pleasantly surprised by two Merry Melodies cartoons that will never be seen on television again. The most interesting was titled "Inki and the Minah Bird". Note the spelling of "minah bird". Of course, "Inki" is a (very) black, spear carrying, grass skirt wearing, bone-thru-the-nose, cannibal type character ("politically incorrect and racially insensitive" by today's standards). He lumbers thru the picture in several chase scenes with a hungry lion and a wise guy mynah bird that constantly outsmarts the hungry lion. With the John K./ Preston Blair lessons fresh in my mind, the lion got my attention and I took a screen capture to publish here.
I can clearly see the shapes that form the lion now!

A Cheap Trick...

2006-05-10T15:28:00.000-05:00

... there's a reason for the title of this post! I was using the Painter IX.5 program after reading the "How To Animate" e-book that Corel has on their coursework webpage. I used Painter to create a few frames which I then imported and vectorized into Toon Boom Studio. I made the animation and exported it as a Flash file. I am very pleased with the way the programs work together and think that they will only help improve the work I can produce. Click the link to watch the little animation!

It is a very good Friday!

2006-05-05T13:34:00.000-05:00

... At last, all the books that I ordered on Amazon are here and, as I previously stated in a prior post, I am devouring them. Also, I got a new software program, Corel's Painter IX.5, for use in my art and animation obsession.
... the Flash books exceed my expectations and are of great assistance in teaching me the program. Most importantly, they are easier to understand than the manual that comes with the program and, with these books, I haven't hit that "frustration" point - the one that causes me to close out and exit the program for a "time out". Berate the "_____ for Dummies"
and "Teach Yourself Visually" series of books all you want, they really help! Once my understanding and competence with the Flash program increases, I can always read the official manual and hone my skills with it.
... I own a free version of Painter (I think it's "Painter Classic") that came bundled with my Wacom tablet. In almost all cases, the bundled version is a watered down version of the program. Think of Photoshop LE vs. Photoshop, for example. It worked well enough for earlier projects, but I researched the latest version of Painter and decided it was worth the investment. I like Corel products a lot. Several professional artists I talk with, swear by these products. So do the professors here at the "U". Corel software is even installed on the computers at the local public library. I opened the program and played with it for a few minutes and noticed a few differences right away. The program loads faster and is sleek, stylish, and modern looking. There are new brushes that really enhance your work and allow you to experiment. There is one feature that I am dying to play with. You can make an animation in Painter IX simply by opening a new document, selecting "movie", and choosing how many frames you want in the movie! Oh, brother, am I ever gonna leave the house again?
... while you might giggle at that last question, it has a serious side to it. The other day, after work, the "boys" sat down together for a beer and invited me to join them. It was tempting, but I found myself declining the invitation so I could race home to study. There are times when I stay up way too late either, reading or working on a drawing, because I lost track of time. Sometimes, I "forget" to eat or ignore the dishes, sitting dirty and unwashed in the sink. I actually began to wonder if this was a healthy thing and I decided to make some changes. Now, I buy paper plates.

The first Flash book arrived...

2006-04-29T00:43:00.000-05:00

... and I am devouring it! The title is The Art of Cartooning with Flash and I am finding the tutorials much easier to understand than the original manual. In attempting to complete the tutorials, I am finding that it is similiar to a puzzle. The author walks you thru a lesson, making you actually use the tools and components of the software to get there, and then leaves you in a "sticking point" which you must figure out how to get out of on your own. It makes you think. It makes you learn.
... the exercises in this book are better than the one's in the standard issue tutorial. They are not as dry and lacklustrer as the Macromedia tutorials. I really want to continue. More on this subject to come!

May's project

2006-04-24T09:28:00.001-05:00

... last week I re-installed the Flash 5 program on my laptop. I bought it at the university's bookstore a few years back, intending to learn it and make a cool animated webpage. I quickly found out that my computer skills weren't as sharp as I believed they were. It turned out to be a frustrating learning experience when I attempted to complete the tutorial and I never ended up using the program.
... Flash was updated several times after that - versions 6, 7, MX, and 8 were released and Macromedia became a part of Adobe. My skills and comprehension of graphics programs improved and my love of animation deepened at the same time. Purchasing Toon Boom Studio inspired me to reinstall Flash 5 and I dug out the installation CD, found the original manual, and set the program up - again. Determined to succeed, I started the tutorial, beginning with the basic lessons in the manual, and continuing on to the tutorial. It was easier this time, I understood key concepts and devoted my energies to learning. There was, however, something missing - the "Aha!" moment, when you undeniably know that you've learned the material and can use the information. I needed help, something beyond the dry, boring manual.
... I went to the local bookstores and combed the shelves, hoping to find something beyond that manual. Finding many books written to augment the Flash manual and teach the program, I was dissappointed to learn that they were all for the latest version of the program. Undaunted, I visited the book "resellers" with high hopes that I would find something useful on their shelves. Dissappointed again, I went to the public library and found one book that, in all actuality, appeared to be a plagerized version of the manual.
... I am not the type of person who gives up without a fight, so I came home, logged on to "that gigantic online bookseller" and did a search, using the program name and version number as keywords. Seconds later, I found exactly what I was looking for at my fingertips, a mouse click away from being mine. Amazingly, the "used" editions were remarkably affordable, the price was often less than the shipping cost. I purchased four different books, all with instructional CD's. Two of these books teach the program in broad terms and two are more specific and focused. The books have all been shipped and will begin arriving shortly.
... May 2006 will be dedicated to learning Flash 5 and I have no doubt that I will become proficient in using this program. Having explored several professional, commercial websites which use Flash animation very effectively, I stepped back and looked at the art and design concept I came up with for my homepage. The idea is solid, it will work. It is also original and unique. While I wait for these books to come I will tweek the design and strengthen the plan.

I love surfing...

2006-04-17T08:48:00.000-05:00

... the animation forums, websites, and blogs! I am reading and taking notes from artists and animators who display their projects and discuss topics that I can really learn from. In fact, on one blog, I learned about a valuable resource that I would never have known about if I had not read all the posts. Quite surprisingly, I had this valuable resource sitting within arms reach and rushed to utilize it.
... the resource was a platinum edition of the Disney movie "The Lady and the Tramp". I bought the movie when it was re-released recently and had not seen it since I was a child. I watched it several times analyzing the Disney method of animation. But the newly discovered blog informed me that there was something more valuable included in the DVD. Yes, the second disc in the set contained very valuable information about how the film was put together and developed way back in 1943. I watched Walt Disney show off the original drawings and the storyboard and talk about the process. I nearly fell out of my chair! I plan on watching the whole second disc again this afternoon - as many times as is necessary for the content to be committed to memory. Now my afternoon is planned.

It's April already...

2006-04-12T12:15:00.000-05:00

... and May is on the way. I don't seem to be spending as much time online as I once did. It has something to do with the arrival of the new drafting table, I suspect. when I am online, it usually has something to do with my artwork or animation projects - generally something that is laid out on that table. I am learning to use the Toon Boom software program and am totally loving it! Click here to view a simple and silly little animation I did with Toon Boom.

The drafting table...

2006-03-24T13:31:00.000-05:00

... I finally got a drafting table! Years ago, when I lived in a large old house on the old west side, I found an nice drafting table hidden under a pile of junk and a layer of dust in the basement. I cleaned that table and set it up, using it to create my artwork. When I moved out of that house, however, the table stayed there and I've missed it ever since. Over the past few years, I've searched the second hand stores and "Freebies and Bargains" section of the local newspaper for a table but always came up shorthanded. The tables I found were either way overpriced, in poor condition, or, already sold. Persistance pays off however, and this week I found a bargain that makes me incredibly happy!
... this table was listed on Craig's List, available locally, and seemed to be perfect for me. I sent off an e-mail, got a response from the seller, and made an appointment to go see the merchandise. I met the seller at her house and inspected the table. She had provided a picture but the table top was cloaked with a tablecloth that barely showed the frame. It was adjustable, she reassured me, adding that she hated to part with the table because it made such a nice computer station and that it was once her fathers'. While the table is adjustable, it doesn't tilt, a feature that would be nice, but isn't essential. The top, the drawing surface, concerned me more because a thick coat of white latex paint had been applied to it. There were some dark red stains on the paint, appearing as if someone had spilled strawberry ice cream and not cleaned up properly. Deciding to take it, I made a mental note to remove the paint and refinish the top if necessary. It loaded into the back of my truck easily, along with a nice chair, and I brought it home.
... someday, when time permits, I'll strip the frame of all the chipped white paint, apply a primer, and paint the frame a nice semi-gloss black and it will look brand new. It's fine for the time being however. As I set the table up, I saw bubbles that had formed on the drawing surface and cautiously began to peel away the blistering paint. To my amazement, there was a perfect lucite surface beneath the paint and a sharp, new razor blade quickly removed the white latex. The paint, it seems, had been wisely applied to protect the table! I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning and setting up my studio area again.
... it's nice to have everything in one organized area and handy again. All my pencils, pens, inks, paints, brushes, and papers are right there, ready to be used . The best part is that my computer desk is, convienently, right next to the drafting table, making the studio ready for producing internet quality work.

Imagination 2

2006-03-14T11:19:00.000-05:00

... when we were little kids, everyone in the neighborhood would gather under the big tree in Mr. Miller's yard to play. One day the tree would be the parking structure and the central point of an imaginary city and we would drive our tiny Matchbox cars around it. The next day the very same tree would be a jail where evil desparados were incarcerated. Later, it would become a spaceship, taking everyone to the furtherest realms of the galaxy. The games we played depended on who was there. Seeing kids playing in the shadow of that large oak was a common sight and no one paid much attention to us unless we were tormenting Cousin Lenny and he began to cry. Occasionally, however, someone, usually one of the local parents, came to check up on us. When the adult appeared, the play stopped and we responded to the questions or commands. As soon as the adult departed, the fantasy play would begin again, exactly where it had ended. This is the amazing power of imagination!
... last sumer, at the lake, I watched a young family romping playfully in the shallow water. At one point, the youngest son "became" a "superhero" and enticed his older siblings to form a Junior League of Justice. Brother and Sister assumed their roles as fellow crimefighters and began combatting evil. Amazingly, even Dad assumed his role as the villian, picking up the kids, one by one, and tossing them a few yards away into the water as they attacked. They joyfully bobbed to the surface and returned to attack again and again.
... several things enthralled me about the whole scene. First, it was the youngest son who initiated the game and it had characters, a plot, and a moral. Second, the kid engaged his siblings to play along and, although it took them a minute or two to join in, they did begin to play along with their younger brother's fantasy. Soon, they were as caught up in the fun as the younger one. The third thing that enthralled me was that an adult, Dad, suspended his grip on reality too, becoming the villian and a part of the whole scenario.
... Why does this excite me? The answer is simple. That whole scene proves to me that we don't lose our imagination as we grow older. The part of our brain, our personalities, that allows us to use our imagination stays with us forever. It is a resource to be tapped into whenever we need or choose to. The important point here is that our imagination is there for us to use when the occasion and opportunity arises.

Imagination 1

2006-03-12T13:49:00.000-05:00

... over the past few days, the postman delivered several reference books that I bought. As I read, and re-read, these books, I'm absorbing the information they contain. The books make wonderful additions to my growing reference library and it's certain that I will be frequently looking to them for direction in the future. Likewise, the number of links to webpages saved in my Favorites folder is growing too. These books and webpages are great for the technical stuff, the "how to" information of animation, but they've also inspired another line of thought for me - IMAGINATION.
... any character one cares to draw, whether it is a frog, a fish, a deer, woodpecker, ghost, or a mouse, already exists, sometimes in several different forms. All one needs to do is to pop a copy of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" into the DVD player and a plethora of familiar characters grace the screen in every scene. We recognize Donald and Daffy, the WB frog, the dancing hippos, even the octopus bartender. And now, we recognize both Roger and Jessica Rabbit.
... there are a lot of technical components involved in animation. In virtually every reference book I own, The 12 Principles of Animation are repeated and stressed. These are the mechanics of animation, providing the foundation for bringing a character to life and for making that character move realistically. The "bouncing ball action" uses the principles of 1.) arcs 2.) squash and stretch and in the book Animation 1, Preston Blair demonstrates this action by showing a frog jumping. This is a basic action that every aspiring animator should learn to master and duplicate early on. Simply drawing a frog jumping, however, is rather mechanical and boring. It needs a healthy dose of imagination. The frog needs a scene, or a story, in which it can jump. This is where the technical and mechanical aspects merge with the creative and imaginative realm of possiblity.

Rambling on

2006-03-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

... Sunrise: 7:04 a.m. Sunset: 6:29 p.m. Hours of visible light: 12 hours and 21 minutes Tomorrow, the length of day will increase by 2 minutes and 50 seconds.

... March is igniting "spring fever" already and the days grow longer and brighter. The bitter cold is gone until next winter and, with any luck, so is the snow. It's funny to think of 40 degrees as "nice weather", proving that all things are relative. I'm looking forward to the days when I can once again go outside to film and photograph.
... I've been working with my Wacom Graphire Tablet, an essential tool for any of the digital paint programs I use. It takes practice to develop the eye/hand coordination necessary to produce nice lines, strokes, and shapes on the screen, as opposed to paper, and to use the digitalized pen rather than a traditional pencil. I'm seeing improvement and that is encouraging.
... this week the UPS man is bringing me a book that I bought off of Amazon. The book is about, of course, cartooning and cost a whopping $1.75. It'll make a nice reference book for my growing library! Basically, I wanted it to learn a little more about "storyboarding". Speaking of books, I used a "30% off " coupon from Borders that my blogging buddy, Dave, over at Suds and Soliloquies so kindly provided. The book, again, an art instruction book about drawing "hip hop style". It interested me after seeing the numerous animated Ipod advertisements, especially the one featuring Eminem and could prove useful. Next up on my "to do" list - learning to read. Just kidding!
... I'm considering a possible field trip over to North Campus early this week. I would love to go visit the art school and check out the student work on display there. It's been a while since I've done this but it is always inspiring to do. At the same time, I would love to check out Property Disposition for a drawing table.

Hey, you look like Jim Morrison!

2006-02-25T04:03:00.000-05:00

... from the totally silly department tonight, I went to the Fleetwood tonight after too many beers and shots at Banfield's (West). Kathy, Monica, and crew took care of me in splendid fashion and I reciprocated in a different way. Jim Morrison, Jr. came in with a few crinkled one dollar bills in his pocket and daddy's credit card -poised to pay for a couple of burgers. He was short three bucks and was willing to settle for one - till I paid for the second and the tip too. Jim, baby, ya owe me one. I laughed out loud hearing you say "thanks a lot, Sir!"

Much Ado about Cartoons Part II

2006-02-22T12:58:00.000-05:00

... usually I'm last on the UPS delivery route, but the truck arrived before noon yesterday. I was playing with my new software until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and I absolutely had to rest. I downloaded and saved the tutorials from the Toon Boom website, along with an E Book they offer, and I began familiarizing myself with the program. Honestly, I think the tutorials are not as well done as they could, or should, be. That's a bit dissappointing. There are forums on the website, but they do not display properly on my PC. Reading them is a real chore. Fortunately however, experience with paint and graphic programs pays big dividends while learning this program. Having a collection of these paint programs at your disposal can only improve ones' work in Toon Boom Studio. Additionally, if you want to use this program, a tablet, like the Wacom Graphire, is essential. I'll continue working with the tutorials.
...I am providing a link to a very good animation, called "The Dead", that I discovered on the web recently. It is a QuickTime mpeg4 movie and will take some time to download if you have a slow internet connection, but it is definitely worth the wait. This animation inspires me. Too often, the Flash cartoons one finds on the internet are examples of "kitsch", as Marshall McLuhan would define the word. They are often little more than bawdy, off color jokes with little substance that everyone has already heard. "The Dead" is different. The foundation, a poem, is a dance with words, and simple, but truly artistic, line drawings illustrate it. The three core elements, the idea, the poem, and the drawings, seamlessly blend together and flow into a thoughtful narrative.

Much Ado about Cartoons

2006-02-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

... one of my favorite uses of technology is the package tracking system used by UPS and other freight carriers. After entering a confirmation number and zip code on the appropriate page, the carrier provides information about your package's journey - arrivals and departure scans, locations and times, and an anticipated delivery date. I'm tracking a package sent from Mesquite, Texas and, when I last checked, the package was already in Missouri, heading north, to be delivered on Tuesday.
... the package I'm tracking contains software, specifically an animation program that I plan on learning and using. Remember the Jib Jab cartoon, "This Land Is My Land", featuring Bush and Kerry, that became so famous during the last presidential election? How about the game where you catch as many babies as you can as Micheal Jackson tosses them off a hotel balcony? Ever watch Animaniacs? These are the kind of animations one can animate with this software program.

Sketchy Studios Presents,,

2006-01-27T14:40:00.000-05:00

... alright, I did a few more drawings of the little goldfish from yesterday's post. I repeated the whole process of coloring them in Freehand and made workable frames in Photoshop. Next, I used Jasc's (now owned by Corel) Animation Shop to put those frames together and produce an AVI file. The final production step involved converting the AVI file to an MPeg and publishing it on the web. To see the short cartoon, click on the icon below.

Sketch-book Thursday: A Doodle Transformed

2006-01-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

... this drawing started as a doodle I scribbled on a sheet of ordinary printer paper while I was online, downloading a movie. After scanning it into my laptop, I cleaned it up in Photoshop, saved it, and took it to the Macromedia Freehand program to color. Once I was satisfied with it, I worked on it in Corel's Photo-Paint program.

... I've done some other artwork related to fishkeeping,including having simple black and white sketches published on the cover of a montly newsletter of a "fish club" in Denver, Colorado. I also won a logo design contest for The North American Discus Association's website. Click here if you want to view that logo.

Wednesday Linkage

2006-01-25T13:49:00.000-05:00

... Okay, I am adding a new link to The Sneeze to my blogroll today. I found the site through another blog I visit, and when I started to read, I found myself chuckling. I like the creativity at "The Sneeze" and hope you will too..

$$ Money, Money, Money $$

2006-01-22T15:34:00.000-05:00

... I found this link about credit cards on a site I visit frequently. After reading it, I immediately checked my phone and utility bills, making certain they were up to date. Visit the link and, I guarantee, you will too!
... a couple of weeks ago, I was watching an episode of Boston Legal and lawyer Alan Shore (James Spader) agreed to represent his legal assistant in a case against a credit card company. Shore was at the top of his game when he told a grinning, smarmy credit card company advocate, "We also have saying in Massachuesett's: maybe you'll get horribly sick and die." While millions of people probably wanted to say the same thing to those advocates, especially after receiving their January statement, there is a more practical and productive solution to the increased minimum payments and hiked interest rates. The first step is cutting up the cards. The second step is calling the credit card company, telling them to stop accepting new charges on the account. The third step is making a sound plan to rid yourself of the debt.
... Early on, before these increases became a reality, Michelle Singletary, in an NPR interview, provided some of the soundest and most useful financial advice I've ever heard. Speaking about the importance and wisdom of reducing consumer debt (ie: credit card debt),Singletary provided a strategy for doing it, with links to websites to assist with the implementation of this strategy. I listened carefully as Michelle spoke, taking notes and jotting down the website URL's in a notebook. Later on, I visited those, taking a lot of notes again. Sharpening a #2 pencil, I put fresh batteries in the calculator and gathered together my notes, credit card statements, receipts, and paycheck stubs and began to put my plan together. It was implemented with the very next round of bills.
... involving a lot of hard work and sacrifice, the plan allowed me to pay off three credit card balances and a car loan while substantially lowering the amount owed on a fourth card. I was able to minimalize the effect and impact of the increases that came in January by being proactive. The final balance will be paid off shortly and the money I earn will truly be mine. This link will help anyone get started. It's never too late. And Michelle Singletary is now on my Christmas Card list !!

( listen to Michelle Singletary every Tuesday on NPR's "Day To Day" )

Tank Update

2006-01-21T12:03:00.000-05:00

... I spend more time involved with my fishkeeping hobby in the winter than in the warmer months. Inclement weather forces me to spend more time indoors and tinkering with my aquariums is a great alternative to stupid sitcoms and ridiculous reality shows. Last November, as the mercury began to fall and snowflakes started to fly, I began a project, turning the 90 gallon aquarium in my office into a show/display tank for fancy goldfish varieties.

... I chose fancy goldfish for several reasons, including their interesting shapes, bright colors, and peaceful dispositions. I learned from experience that a beautiful aquarium full of fish, grabs a visitor's attention faster, and hold it longer, than any television program. As this project progressed, I found my skills, abilities, and knowledge being challenged in multiple ways. This was a surprise since the prevailing view seemed to be that goldfish "are just carp". I spent some time and energy "fine tuning" the system in order to get to the point where minimal intervention and maintenance is required.
... Mechanically, things were "give and take". I had hoped to be able to keep from installing a heater, but the winter cold caused the water temperature to flucuate and stress the fish. Among my supplies, I had a brand new 250 watt submersible Ebo Jager heater, completely capable of maintaining a constant 74 degree water temperature at minimal expense. It will control this variable until the cold weather passes. The filtration requirements changed next. I was able to completely eliminate the Millenium 1000 power filter I was running. This filter created a strong current in the water that, again, stressed the fish as they constantly fought the current or sought out hiding places where they could rest. As soon as the goldfish realized the water was no longer a raging whitewater river, they came out of hiding and floated around the tank, visible for a change. I kept the HOT Magnum micron filter to polish the water and remove floating debris. It is a filter that, while very effective, requires more frequent maintenance. Fortunately, the maintenance is easy and doesn't require much time to do. The final mechanical change is the most dramatic and involves the bio-filter. I noticed a white cloudiness to the water, indicative of increased ammonia levels. Several of the fish were developing fin rot and two of the telescope eye Black Moors had a white fungal coating on their eyes. I didn't need to do any water tests to know what was wrong. I immediately changed about 50% of the water and exchanged one of the sponge filters for a larger version. This sponge, although dry, had once been used in another tank and contained the necessary cysts (shells) of aerobic bacteria. It would "revive" in days, repopulating its porous surface with ammonia converting, beneficial bacteria. At the same time, I repositioned the air pump, hanging it on the wall behind the tank in order to maximize the amount of air being pumped through the two sponges. A totally reactionary response, I lost a couple of nice fish that were weakened from the stress and ammonia spike. Almost immediately after these changes, the eyes of the afflicted Black Moor began to clear and all the fish are showing improvement. I am changing about 10 to 15 gallons of water a day to control water quality as the new sponge renews itself.
... amazingly, throughout the entire episode of "new tank syndrome" only one fish, a common orange fantail, showed no sign of stress at all. I will go as far as to say that this fish thrived and continued to grow while the inbred, genetically altered pearlscales, black moors, and orandas either suffered or died. Extend these findings into the natural world and one could possibly make a case for either evolutionists or intelligent design advocates.

Fat Bastard Syndrome

2006-01-12T11:53:00.000-05:00

... I seem to have lost my inspiration. I believe it has something to do with the horrible cold I've been battling all week. There's just something about blowing your nose every 2 minutes and flushing away green mucous that resemembles gelatin, that kills creativity. During the trip up north last week, we stopped at one of those one stop,tourist trap gas stations to refuel. The place was probably one of the major employers in town. There was a huge gift shop that even included a clothing department. Fighting the urge to buy a "Bear Skin Rug" for just $29.99, I wondered how many of the local yokels received a ceramic Indian head sculpture (made in China, of course) or a "World's Best Grandpa" sweatshirt purchased there, for Christmas. The best part, however, were the two (knock-off) fast food franchise concessions in the back. My friend ordered a turkey sub from "Sub Central", but seeing the greasey haired employee sneeze and cough into her elbow, I headed over to "Papa Italy's" for a personal lunch size cheese and pepperoni. Imagine my surprise when the very same sniffling girl switched hats and rang up my order.
... I can never understand why sick people don't just stay at home and recuperate. Why do they insist on going out in public to expose everyone they come in contact with to the illness? If the "Bird Flu" gets to North America, this is how it will spread. Last January, I was working one night and approached a table of four, a family, that came in to eat. I set down the waters and asked if anyone would care for something besides water. Dad wanted a beer, the kids wanted 7-Up, and Mom, in a very raspy voice, sniffling, congested, and hacking as she wiped her nose, ordered hot tea, with lemon and honey . And more paper napkins.
"You're sick," I said. "You sound like you should be home in bed, resting,"
"I'll be fine," she said, mustering up that self pitying, I'm sick tone of voice.
I wanted to whack her on the head with my cocktail tray. Just one good, hard thump - not hard enough to knock her out, just hard enough to make her see stars for a minute or two. This woman obviously did not think, or care, about spreading her illness to the people she came in contact with and deserved the whack. Imagine her in the grocery store, the office, the mall, or car pool, spraying those germs all over the place with every sneeze, or, leaving her nose drippings on the U-Scan. And you are next in line, right behind her.
... I don't know of any employer who wants a sick employee working and infecting the rest of the staff. Even my boss will forego a doctor's note if he's certain you are truly ill. If it's about losing money while you're out sick, you have bigger problems than that cold, and, you should probably address them while you're at home getting well. Usually, however, it's about something else - a self-centered, selfish, lack of consideration for other people, otherwise known as Fat Bastard Syndrome.
... when the family with the sick Mom left the restaurant, I gingerly picked up the charge slip, noting that this woman carelessly left at least 5 wadded up napkins on the table, unconcerned that someone else had to clean up the biohazard she left. Maybe she deserved two good whacks.

Ya Think?

2006-01-08T05:25:00.000-05:00

...this one is for all my friends over at AAiO. In my opinion, it ranks right up there with Pope Benedict XVI's statement about Christmas and commercial pollution...

Road Trip !

2006-01-05T07:35:00.000-05:00

Q: what does a "true northerner" do when he is sick of the gray, dismal days of winter?
A: a "true northerner" heads even further north into the land of snow and cold. Maybe there will even be some sunshine up there!

Sketchy is heading out of town and taking a road trip with a very dear friend today. He leaves you with this for a little fun and entertainment. Have fun!

P.S. yes, I am taking along a digital camera and a digital video recorder to document the journey!

Pomme du Terre

2006-01-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

...somebody inspired Sketchy to post about food, virgin (yet familiar) territory for this blog.

... if we lighten our load in 2006 and leave anything back in 2005, Sketchy hopes it is the "low carb/high protien" diet fads like Atkins and South Beach. For one thing, I'm tired of typing "no pot/add veggies" into the computer, under "special prep", with 90% of my orders. I'm also tired of being asked if the restaurant carries "Splenda" besides the regular sugar, Sweet 'n Lo, and Equal . And filling water glasses 3 and 4 times, just so an old man can wash down a hefty portion of blanched vegetables he is obviously not enjoying, is simply annoying and time consuming. Like the commercial says, a baked potato contains no fat and a measly 100 calories, as long as you don't dress it with 3 tablespoons of butter and smother it with sour cream. Top that potato with a mild salsa if you want nice flavor! I have more bad news for you, that barbeque sauce that pulled pork is swimming in contains enough sugar to sweeten the Olympic size pool at the new YMCA. You might as well stop worrying about scaping it off the bun. And stop picking those croutons off your salad too, the low fat dressing is loaded with sugar too. How do you think the manufacturer makes it taste good and gets you to eat it, while using an overprocessed oil? They add lots and lots of super-concentrated sugar. Sketchy should work for the Idaho Potato Advisory Council.
... Sketchy often preheats his tiny oven to 350 F and tosses in a nice sized Idaho Russet to bake. Besides making a nice dinner, the oven heats the apartment, negating the need to turn up the thermostat. Once soft, he cuts it open, fluffs it, and adds some cooked chicken, ham, or roast beef. Topping it with about two tablespoons of grated colby/jack cheese, it goes back into the oven until the cheese melts and the meat is warmed sufficiently. Crowned with a nice salsa, it is a tasty and filling dinner.

Meetup

2006-01-02T01:32:00.000-05:00

... surfing the blogs late at night, Sketchy came across this announcement.

Ann Arbor blogger meetup
Tuesday, January 10, 2006 (7:00 PM)
Leopold Brothers
523 S. Main St. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Ann Arbor area bloggers will be getting together to drink beer, find out who is behind what domain name, and talk about politics, urban planning, tech, music & everything else people blog about.

By the time I finished jotting the pertinent information in my day planner, the notice, and accompanying editorial comment, dissappeared, leaving Sketchy scratching his head in wonder and uttering an audible, "Huh, what the ....?" Tonight the announcement resurfaced. And again, there was an editorial comment carrying the same basic message, however the rant was toned down - considerably. Sketchy didn't/doesn't have a problem with the post, either in its original or modified form, it's simply someone else's opinion. Sketch will form his own opinions after attending the meetup. Sketchy does, however, feel like he has something for the author to consider, or perhaps, reconsider.
...although I've never set foot inside Leopold Brothers, I did sample a bottle of their beer once. It was good too, and getting a fresh drawn draft is reason enough to make the trip. As for meeting the other bloggers, this will be my first "meetup". It makes me a "wildcard". But, I can think of at least two or three bloggers that I really enjoy reading on a regular basis, and not being the shy type, I won't hesitate to tell them that I like their content. Generally speaking, a positive and sincere compliment is usually a pretty good way to start a worthwhile conversation. I can talk tech and politics and I'm quite confident that my musical preferences will be a whole lot different than others in attendence. And I certainly know Ann Arbor well enough. In fact, I know Ann Arbor well enough to know that The Eight Ball Saloon is a rat's nest. I know that the bartenders there could benefit from a Techniques of Alcohol Management Seminar, and, that the bouncers seem to take special glee in bouncing an intoxicated patron's head off the pavement after their bartenders overserve them. I also know that nasty smelling beer soaked carpet sticks to the soles of your shoes as you walk, that there's a very good chance the idiot next to you at the horse trough urinal is going to miss the blue cookie by the drain and pee all over your shoes, and that "getting lucky" at The 8 Ball means going home alone. The place is like the continuation of the high school "basement" party your friend had when his parents went away on vacation. The pool room is a sausage festival, the blasting jukebox convienently overrules any hope of talking to any female, and if you're over 30 years old, you seriously need to examine the reasons why you enjoy the place and what you are getting out of that type of atmosphere.
... so on Tuesday, I'll leave my $1,500 laptop at home but I will bring my nifty little 5 megapixel, mpeg4 video camera to record soused bloggers trying to pronounce the mayor's name correctly. If I listen, I might learn something about urban planning. Maybe I'll just find another nice spot to enjoy a cold pint of beer, or meet another neighbor and make a new friend, enjoy a conversation, or walk out feeling a little bit more "at home" and more a part of the community that is Ann Arbor. After all, this is what I left "The Hills" of Oakland County for. To me, it's worth the effort.

Sieze the Day

2005-12-31T16:49:00.000-05:00

... as the final hours of 2005 fade away, I envision myself slipping into my apartment just before midnight, taking off my work clothes, putting on a comfy pair of Joe Boxer fleece sweatpants and a Joe Boxer fleece sweatshirt, cracking a cold beer, and watching the movie Madagascar in the solitary comfort of my small apartment. There won't be any "Happy New Year" kisses at midnight, no drunken revelry, and no off key singing of "Auld Lang Syne". In fact, the only noise in this whole building will most likely be coming from "the bad neighbors"downstairs. Hell, I'm not even interested in watching the big ball drop in Times Square.
... I spent a lot of time reflecting on the first half of this decade during the past week. I stared out the foggy windows of local coffeehouses and let my mind meander from the past to the present, while stirring a mocha latte. Cruising down local highways, I let "road hypnosis" take me to the Millenium Celebration and back. I even donned layers of winter clothing and tramped down mucky trails that lay beneath bare trees and wound around semi-frozen lakes, hoping that the cold, fresh winter air would inspire crisp, clear thoughts about the New Year and the rest of this decade. The only things that came to me are that I will undoubtedly get fatter, my hair will become increasingly grey, and that gas prices will continue to rise. And all too soon, we will be saying "Happy New Year" again.
... I decided against taking a nostalgic look back at 2005, and the first five years of this decade, because I am more interested in the hope and promise of tomorrow than I am in the past. I can do something about tomorrow. Yesterday is gone forever. If I lived yesterday well, today is a good day. Living well today, makes tomorrow even better. This simple truth is the result of all my introspection and reflection and will, hopefully, guide me through the remaining years of this decade.

Looking backward, looking forward..

2005-12-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

... it only takes a few short hours to shift our holiday focus from Christmas to the impending New Year. Traditionally, we spend the last week of the current year looking both backward and forward, simultaneously examining where we've been and what we accomplished while making plans for where we want to go and what we want to do, once we sleep off the champagne induced hangover on New Year's Day. The cycle of one year, while a significant marker, is a small amount of time. Sometimes, it's better to widen our perspective and look at the bigger picture. With the end of the first half of a decade in sight, the second half is about to begin, and it is this perspective which will frame my thinking this week.

A Special Gift

2005-12-23T13:37:00.000-05:00

... I went to visit my dad in the assisted living facility, a regular visit, intended soley to put a smile on his face and spread some holiday cheer. He was missing my mom as was to be expected, being the first Christmas in over a half century spent without her, but I saw a twinkle in his eye, and a smile, when I flicked the switch on the wall, lighting up the little Christmas tree. It was a nice visit and I left him reading a handful of cards that arrived from family and friends, and, anticipating a visit from Pastor Dave the next afternoon. I got a little surprise as I shut the door and headed down the hallway toward the elevator. Coming straight toward me, fully cushioned and fat, dressed in bright red with a long, snow white beard, a loaded bag slung over his shoulder, was - Santa Claus!!
... I stopped walking and stared, speechless for a minute, as he and his "helper" got closer before my "inner child" took over. "Well, Merry Christmas!" I announced. I was greeted by a throaty "Ho!Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas to you!" as the pair passed and rushed down the stairwell at the end of the hall.
... as the elevator door opened on the main floor, I was greeted by the song "Santa Claus Is Coming ToTown", being beat out on an old piano in the style of an elementary school musical. There, in the facility's cafeteria, was my Santa, surrounded mostly by elderly women in wheelchairs or walkers, all chiming in with the music and receiving tiny packages with a candy cane attached to a red bow. Every one of them was smiling and happy for the moment, all their aches and pains forgotten in this magic second. I felt invisible, like the Ghost of Christmas Present, as I stood watching the event at the window, lost in the moment as well.
... Driving home, I realized that I had just received a very special gift from Santa.

Dear Slumlord;

2005-12-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

Please do not leave threatening, misspelled messages in public places. Keep the homeless dude out of the dumpster as he throws garbage out while collecting returnable cans and bottles. My rent pays your salary and there are apartments across the street that I can rent from. Get back to work and plow the damn parking lot!

heaven

2005-12-21T14:02:00.000-05:00

..I watched the Barbara Walter's special, "Heaven: Where is it? How do we get there?" on Thursday night. It was entertaining and cute, in a "bubblegum for the mind" sort of way, with its exploitation of celebrities like Richard Gere, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Dali Lama. It was also
disturbing in depictions of extremism on the sides of Christian and Islamic viewpoints. The "science", took the fun out of it all with an explanation of the "heaven gene" and "dying brain syndrome". Throughout the program, I found myself listening to John Lennon's "Imagine", on the MP3 player in my mind.
... the show didn't teach me anything new and I doubt it intended to do so. The pervasive message seemed to be "lead a good life here to experience heaven on earth," or beyond. And it did so in almost a "gonna find out who's naughty or nice" kind of way, perfectly appropriate for a show airing only five days before Christmas. The show did, however, reinforce some beliefs I have held for a very long time.
...the first of these beliefs is that religion and politics are inseparabley linked and always a source of trouble. A brief clip showed some Evangelical teens praying in what appeared to be something more like a "voodoo trance" than any Christian service I have ever attended. These youth were taught to express religious fervor in such a manner, no less indoctrinated than a failed Palestinian suicide bomber held in an Israeli prison. Sadly, both are victims of errant religious instruction. With several references to Armageddon and Revelations, I was left believing that if such a final confrontation does occur, it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy more than a fulfillment of a promise from God.
... next, cultural bias plays a tremendous role in one's religious belief. Is it any wonder that desert dwelling people perceive heaven as having an abundant water supply and lush gardens? Native Americans described the "happy hunting grounds" as a place where the spirits of warriors hunted the spirits of animals. A universal belief is that heaven is full of peace and tranquility, food and feasts, and our family and friends. What we lack or long for, in order to thrive on earth, is abundant in heaven. Conversely, what we fear and loath is always present in hell - fire, famine, disease, and pestilence.
... third, I am convinced that there will always be someone eager to stand up and say that they know what God wants, that they have a clearer idea of "The Creator's" master plan and the road to heaven than others do. Most of the time, such people will go the way of Aimee Semple McPherson, Jim Baker, or Jimmy Swaggart.
... finally, the last bastion for all religious discussion, or dispute, will invariably be faith. At its best, faith is both hope and trust. At its worst, faith is a circumvention of logic and intelligence, too often used in a manner akin to "Because I said so!"
... I much prefer a simpler view of creationism such as depicted in a recently discovered ancient Mayan mural buried for thousands of years in Guatemala. The mural simply shows a fish to represent the water world, a turkey representing the air world, and the Corn God, offering an ear of corn to umans so they may eat and flourish here on earth.

God's Tool (In The Shed)

2005-12-13T23:09:00.000-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI complained this week that Christmas festivities have been "subjected to a sort of commercial pollution."

...uh, ya think? Right on top of things ...

A2 Hipsters

2005-12-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

Bouncing from here to here to here, it landed here, where it was pimped, polished, and shined like the fine ride it is. In the end, I ended up subtracting multiple 5 point blocks for being too old to be considered "hip". That's one fact that will never change, regardless of how many "vegetarian supreme's" I eat at Big 10 Burrito, how many band flyers I tape to the street light posts on Liberty between Division and State Streets, or how many Red Wings I pound at Leopold Brothers. It's alright though, I'm just as comfortable popping in for a "Homewrecker" at Moe's Southwest Grill in the Colonade or an Old Detroit at Old(e) Town(e).
... the modified quiz actually reminded me of a painting that once graced the walls of "the now extinct" tavern, The One Eyed Moose, on Main Street. The painting originally hung in The Pretzel Bell, according to the owner, and was painted in the early '20's by a U of M art student. The center of this work of art was a globe, positioned to highlight an exaggerated Michigan, a maize and blue flag marking a very exaggerated Ann Arbor. Could it possibly be the origin of this locally popular world view, or, does it only reflect how firmly entrenched this concept is? The artist manipulated the viewers eye, moving it in a clockwise circle to a variety of timeless scenarios in which life in Ann Arbor and life at U of M collided and merged. One sees football players, in barely recognizable (and barely padded) uniforms receiving long passes and hockey players executing shots on goal. There is a young, almost Rockwell-esque, couple, kissing on a park bench in autumn as a squirrel scampers away with an acorn. A favorite scene depicts a bleary eyed young man, dressed in a suit considered "hip" for the era, raising an icey mug of draft beer with his right hand and waving a smoldering cigar with the left. Any one of the carefully painted scenes is still recognizable in town today, as long as you take changes in fashion and technology into account. I truly believe that this quality of timelessness was part of the artist's original idea as he stood in front of a blank canvas, paintbrush in hand.
...with that in mind, I remind everyone that "hip" is all too often passing and fickle. True style, classic and timeless, is much more difficult to identify and far more fulfilling. In support of my theory, I leave you with THIS
and the song "Come On A My House" by
Rosemary Clooney (1951).

Thermal Underwear, Doc Marten boots, Sweatshirts, and Carhartt

2005-12-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

... as I watched the news last night, I knew that I had to visit my "super secret
hiding place" in the morning. I gathered together a pile of "winter" clothing and
set it out on the dresser in preparation. Listening to the snowplows clearing the road, and salt trucks spreading their precious cargo, I grabbed thermal
underwear, thermal undershirts, hunting socks, sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a pair of oversized Carhartt work jeans from a drawer and the closet. From the back corner of that closet, I pulled out a pair of waterproof Doc Marten" boots. When I finally went to sleep, the snow was beginning to pile up.
...early in the morning, I drank a cup of coffee as I layered on the clothing I set
out a few short hours prior. It looked like something from a Christmas card outside,
everything buried beneath six inches of pure white powdery snow. I was already
sweating when I exited the front door and made my way to the truck, also buried
under a cold white layer. I opened the door, started the engine, grabbed a pair of
gloves, and began to brush away the powder. While the roads were passable, the
parking lot had not been plowed and I wondered if I would have trouble getting out
of my parking space. Finally clear and warm, I put the truck in gear and inched
slowly out to the street.
... it took only a few minutes to get to my destination, a parking lot beside one of
those $1.00 car washes. The lot is owned by the Post Office and used by one or two employees when the main lot is full. I pulled in, heading to the far end. I felt like a little kid searching for "pirate's treasure" as I looked for the marker I put
in place last spring, the "X marks the spot" on a treasure map. I found it easily,
pulled up close, and found what I was looking for. Underneath the fresh snow were 6 bags of "tube sand" that I quickly threw into the bed of my truck. Having no place to store these winter essentials, I counted on nobody finding the bags during the summer, or, if they were discovered, nobody having the energy to move the 360 pounds of sand that keeps my truck from sliding off the road in January. And I was right!!

Goldfish?

2005-12-07T12:57:00.000-05:00

... when all of the breeder tanks in my fishroom began leaking, I narrowly avoided a costly water disaster and was grateful for my good fortune (and for the good fortune of the people who live below me!). I disposed of the defective tanks, packed the equipment away for storage, and abandoned my plans for breeding Discus. The fish all went into the 90 gallon show tank in my livingroom.
...although it didn't house any fish, I didn't empty the second 90 gallon tank that sits in my office. Instead, I kept the filters running so the water wouldn't stagnate and I disconnected the heater. The only maintenence chores performed was to replace water lost to evaporation. I considered selling the tank but decided against it.
... the other day, I had a craving for Chinese food and I headed over to Weng's
Kitchen for some of the best pork fried rice and egg drop/wonton soup there is. I placed my order and was waiting patiently at the counter when I noticed a little 10 gallon aquarium sitting on the counter. Inside, two little goldfish hovered by a plastic plant that was half buried in blue gravel. Mrs. Weng handed me the bag of food and saw that I was looking at the fish. She dropped a pinch of flake food into the tank and smiled. "Goldfish bring good luck!" she said.
... the next day I stopped in to see the little fat girl who works in my favorite fish store. "Goldfish?", she asked, scrunching up her face in both curiousity and disdain. We walked to a bank of tanks and she began pointing out the strains and color variations. These fish weren't the old fashioned fish I carried home in a plastic bag after knocking down three milkcans with a softball at the school fair. These were fat, round colorful fish with flowing fins, bulging eyes, and warty growths called "hoods" on their heads. "These are the adults," she told me. "They're about $75 each." My jaw dropped and we moved down a couple of tanks to the smaller fish. "The young ones are a lot cheaper!"
... I spent less than $30 and walked out with a variety of fish,including "telescope eyed black moors", red cap orandas, calico orandas, and "pearlscale orandas". After a week in my tank, they're gobbling down food, "waddling" through the water, and I swear that I see some growth already. I catch myself watching them cavort as I write and, best of all, I can continue to enjoy the 50% reduction in my electricity bill as they don't require anything more than
room temperature water. I keep thinking about Mrs. Weng's comment about goldfish bringing good luck. I sure hope it is true!

Fire Millen

2005-12-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

OUTRAGEOUS! It's the only way to describe the shenanigans taking place at Ford Field on Sunday when a fan got tackled for displaying a "Fire Millen" sign while the Detroit Lions continued to SUCK at Ford Field on Sunday afternoon.
... for Detroit fans, watching the Lions lose is as much a part of the Thanksgiving
tradition as turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. While Channel 7 Action News continues to tout the "Countdown To The Superbowl", my uncle, from Oregon, teases me with, "Well, it doesn't appear as if the hometeam is going to make it!" With other top notch, championship teams like the Pistons and Red Wings calling Detroit home and drawing crowds, I'm fed up with the Lions. And as Detroiter's, our best recourse is to stop attending the games, stop watching the games on television, and definitely, stop buying Lion's merchandise. Let's face facts, if the staff in any other business performed as poorly as the Lion's have, upper management would be quick to hold their subordinate managers accountable and demand results. Why is this not the case in this instance. And why does it take a couple of disgruntled fans waving banners to bring this into the public eye? Pretty soon, the security guards at Ford Field, who overreacted and are guilty of assault and
battery, won't have any fans to worry about at all. The stands will be empty.

The Holiday Season is upon us

2005-12-02T14:17:00.000-05:00

...tonight at 8 p.m., Channel 7 will be broadcasting an animated Christmas Classic, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". That's the one with the misfit elf who wants to be a dentist, an Abominable Snowman with a toothache, and Burl Ives' voice belting out, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!", as a singing Snowman. The special is as much a part of America's national "television identity" as "I Love Lucy".
...I was a little kid when this program first aired, 4 or 5 years old at best, and viewing it always heightened the excitement of the holiday season and the anticipation of a visit by Santa Claus. By the time it aired, Dad was finished stringing lights on the gutters and downspouts, and enjoying a cold beer in his easy chair, just like all the other dads on the block. The Christmas tree was in the livingroom, filling the house with a fresh pine aroma.
...while we kids were at school, Mom was busy putting the lights on the tree, a task
accomplished quicker and easier without young ones around. She would turn on the lights just long enough to test for burnt out bulbs and to make certain that all the "bubble lights" really bubbled. When Mom was satisfied, she'd set up a nativity scene on a sheet of cottony material that looked like snow, at least to a 5 year old boy. Next there was a snow covered church with a tiny light bulb inside that made the windows glow red. In front of this church, tiny novelty candles shaped like pine trees, carolers, musicians, gas powered street lamps, and even a snowman made a cheery holiday scene.
...we hung ornaments on the tree after dinner. At that time, my favorites always went on the lower branches because I couldn't reach the higher ones. My sister and brother carefully filled those spaces. Finally, when we were content, Mom would appear with two special boxes that looked like they held treasure inside. Dad would always chuckle when we reached this part of the tree trimming. The first box, tall and white, held "The Angel". Originally a wedding present, this angel is forever etched in my memory. It looked something like Glinda, the "Good Witch Of The North" from the movie, The Wizard of Oz but with a "holier" or more "saintly" appearance. It was sheer joy when The Angel got plugged in and lit up! The second special box was much smaller, it opened like a ring box, but was three times as big. Inside was a delicate, hand blown, glass teapot. Also a wedding gift, the teapot was painted with delicate white snowflakes and I can not remember a Christmas at home when it was not displayed in a prominent position on our tree. Once The Angel and The Teapot were in place, the lights were flicked on amidst excited gleeful screams and we threw the silver tinsel onto each branch. What excitement it was!
... in anticipation of "bedtime", we would all snuggle up on the couch and tune the black and white television on to Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. I'd get scared by the mean, old Abominable Snowman and cuddle closer to whomever was nearest. By the time that the misfit elf removed his bad tooth, I'd already be half asleep. Maybe tonight I'll tune in to the colorized and digitally remastered version - just for old times sake.

Truckbed Treasures

2005-12-01T08:44:00.000-05:00

... I've never owned a car, only pickup trucks. In fact, this is the third pickup that I've owned. Over the years I've come to accept the fact that people will always throw things in the bed of a truck, using it as a trash can, especially if a real trash receptacle is not nearby. I've discovered that some
will even pick up litter off the street and deposit it in the truckbed, thinking that
I will not toss it back where it came from. They're usually correct, I will most likely dispose of it properly. From empty bottles and cans to paper coffee cups,
plastic bags, and empty boxes, I've found a lot of things rolling and rattling
around back there as I drive around. I've decided, in the spirit of Found Photos, to begin
documenting my "truckbed treasures" here on Ten Megabytes. Here
is a little trinket I found while cleaning snow off the windshield yesterday morning.

Complying...

2005-11-30T12:13:00.000-05:00

... I don't have a porch but if I did ...

The Observer arrived...

2005-11-30T11:59:00.000-05:00

...and just in time, too! The bird is going thru this messy "nesting mode" thing and is chewing up the newspaper on the bottom of the cage. With the arrival of December's Ann Arbor Observer, I have enough material for at least two more cage cleanings. Gimme a friggin' break - like Zingerman's needs anymore free advertising in this town.

I get a phone call ...

2005-11-29T18:35:00.000-05:00

... every day or so from a debt collection agency located in Texas. The phone rings, my answering machine picks up, and a recorded message begins. "This is not a sales call. Please call Pentagram Kay at 1-800-****." Even when I pick up the receiver, I get this recorded message, never a human being to talk to.
... I don't have any outstanding debt so they really have no reason to be calling me. They agency is looking for someone named "Eddy Something-or-Other". I got a phone call last spring asking for him. "No one by that name lives here," I told the woman on the other end of the line. I got a second call a few months later from the same woman and I repeated it for her, "No one by that name lives here nor has ever lived here!" A little while later these phone calls started coming in.
...I read some information on debt collection harassment and could call and force these people to stop calling me but I just can't see putting any energy or effort into this. I'm usually at work when the phone call comes and I don't mind coming home, finding the message, and promptly deleting it. In fact, it's kind of satisfying, in a strange way. Whatever this "Eddy So-and-So" got away with, I hope he's enjoying it. I wonder if it's bad karma to wish herpes on the woman who put me on that call list?

1% Inspiration

2005-11-28T14:39:00.000-05:00

... I wasn't one of those "shopping fools" that made the news this past weekend.
No, I wasn't standing in line in front of Walmart, Best Buy, Circuit City, or
CompUSA at 5 o'clock in the morning on Friday. My credit card stayed in my wallet. I let other people fuel the national economy and rack up even more consumer debt. In mid December, when the credit card bills and the utility bill arrive in the mailbox on the same day, I won't be the one sweating.
... my intent was to slip quietly and peacefully through this holiday weekend. I
planned on nothing more than working my regularly scheduled shifts, an "after work"
beer, and returning to the comfort of my cozy little apartment. This may sound a
little boring but something came out of it - something incredible, actually.
... I was relaxing in the livingroom with a CD playing softly in the background, my feet propped up on the coffee table. Grabbing a book that I bought last month at Borders, The Animator's Survival Kit,I started to study, reviewing the chapters I already finished, and moving on to fresh subject matter, until I grew a little sleepy. I put my head back and closed my eyes and that's when the incredible magic happened. A white screen appeared in my "mind's eye" and a simple line drawing "character" faded in. The character began to dance on that screen, making repetitive moves and gestures with his head, body, arms, and legs, in sync with the music I was listening to. I opened my eyes again, grabbed a sketchbook and a pencil, and quickly recorded what I had just visualized on a page of the sketchbook. In a matter of about 5 minutes, I had 6 sketches that will evolve into key frames for a cartoon that's been in my mind for a while now. It was another "Aha!" moment where ones subconcious and concious mind meet and produce.
... I believe it was Thomas Edison that said, "Invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." I experienced the 1% inspiration in that sleepy vision and am now in the process of doing the actual hard work required to produce the physical cartoon. When I am done, I promise to post it here.

Leftovers

2005-11-25T12:26:00.000-05:00

... the first time I woke up today, the clock read 3:44 a.m. I seriously considered
staying up, making some coffee, firing up the laptop, and going online. Instead,
I crawled back under a mountain of warm quilts and went back to sleep. At 8
o'clock, I opened my eyes to a strange phenomenon, a brightly lit bedroom. The
sun was actually shining (through a few scattered clouds) and the sky was blue!
...my resolve is strong today and I am determined to tackle the growing list of chores that I've been ignoring all week. The first load of laundry is in the washer already. I'm ready to take two trash bags to the dumpster and go to the carwash for more quarters to finish the washing. The sink is empty, no dirty dishes hanging around, and I don't even to cook - just heat up the leftovers and make a sandwich. Both "winterizing" the windows and taking care of the aquariums are both very reachable goals for the afternoon.
... I'm thanking God that I'm not working at the mall right now. I remember the year that I did work there at Christmas and how it completely ruined my holiday season. It was an absolutely miserable experience that showed me the most evil side of the holiday. While Christmas songs heralding the birth of Jesus rang out in the background, greedy shoppers literally fought over merchandise, parking spots, and even their space in line to visit Santa Claus. In the quest to create "the perfect Christmas" for one's own family too often overrides civilized and polite behavior - especially at a "50% Off Sale" on Christmas Eve.
...I'm giving up on the OurMedia Publishing Tool for uploading any large video files for use on this site. I had the same trouble that other users complained about with this uploader tool. Once installed, it never loaded. The publishing tool's creator posted a set of instructions that would supposedly fix the problem. After carefully following these instructions, the tool would still not load. Instead, I went to Creative Commons to download and install their tool. It loaded right away and although I haven't published anything, it appears to work just like the Our Media tool did the first (and only) time it loaded. Perhaps this will now motivate me to produce some "meatier" video posts.
... I made my December calendar and it is hanging on the corkboard by my desk. The important dates, appointments, and "due dates" are noted and new things can be penciled in. It looks like a very busy month from start to finish. Better hang on to my hat (and gloves)!!
...I checked the "Who Links to Me" link at the bottom of this page and was surprised to see that my blog is linked to a couple of online gambling/casino sites. I am going to defeat the purpose right now and clearly state DO NOT GAMBLE ONLINE. If you want to play slots, blackjack, or poker, go to your favorite casino - the real world ones, not this online "virtual casino" crap.

Waking up ...

2005-11-23T11:18:00.000-05:00

... and looking out the window, I see that winter has officially arrived! There's a
white blanket of snow covering the trees, lawns, and roads. And now, it really does feel like the "holiday season" is here.
... realistically, the snow that fell last night is just a dusting. A whole lot more will fall and accumulate over the next four months. Today, I love it like only a true "born and bred Northerner" can.

A Silly List

2005-11-22T17:49:00.000-05:00

First Grade Teacher's Name? Ms. Kleinman
Last Words You Said: "Have a Happy Thanksgiving!"
Last Song You Sang? "Quiero Saber de Ti"
Last Person You Hugged? Alicia Muser ! Yeah, Baby!
Last Thing You Laughed At? My bird doing acrobatics
Last Time You Said 'I Love You' And Meant It? To my dad today
Last Time You Cried? Today, thinking about my mom's funeral.
What's In Your CD Player? 5 CD's including: The Rolling Stones, Latin Pop Hits, and some homemade mix CD's
What Color Socks Are You Wearing? Two pairs - a white pair underneath a pair of gray boot/hunting socks.
What's Under Your Bed? A board.
What Time Did You Wake Up Today? 11 a.m.
Current Taste? Pumpkin pie
Current Hair? same as always, more grey
Current Clothes? Levi's and a thermal undershirt (long sleeve)
Current Annoyance? The new sidework chart at work
Current Longing? To get a call for an interview from the company I sent a resume to recently
Current Desktop Picture? A mural from a train tressel downtown
Current Worry(ies) Making rent and car payments
Current Hate? "Latino Night" at the club downtown
Favorite Physical Feature Of The Opposite Sex? Tits and Ass
Last CD You Bought? 30 CD R's! LOL!
Favorite Place To Be? The lake on a hot August afternoon
Least Favorite Place? DUH! A No-Brainer, there.
Time You Wake Up In The Morning? Usually around 8:00 a.m. if I get to sleep before 5 a.m.
Favorite Color? Blue
Do You Believe In An Afterlife? Nope
How Tall Are You? 6' 1"
Current Favorite Word/Saying? Orale, vatos!
Favorite Season? Autumn
One Person From Your Past You Wish You Could Go Back And Talk To: A couple really, Rockwell, Jeff H., Andy L.
Favorite Day? My Day Off
Where Would You Like To Go? Brazil
What Is Your Career Going To Be Like? Short and sweet
How Many Kids Do You Want? None
Favorite Car? No cars, TRUCKS!

There's a Hair in The Soup

2005-11-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

After 20 years in the business, I thought I'd seen it all. In fact, I was certain that nothing a customer could do would surprise me ever again. I was wrong. I was actually astounded on Saturday night.
The last home football game of the season is always between two arch rivals and is the biggest homegame of the year. The customers began flooding in and it didn't slow down. The hostesses used a "wait list" for over 2 1/2 hours and the manager finally cut the floor around 9:30 p.m. I took the first new table in my section and was delivering their salads when the surprising incident occurred.
On the other side of the diningroom, our manager was talking with a customer, a man about 45 years old. The man's wife and young son listened in on their conversation. The man suddenly stood up, his wife reached out to stop him, and our manager stepped back. The guy turned toward the other tables, and in a very loud voice, began an obnoxious and embarassing speech.
"I want you all to know that I just had dinner with my family," he began, "and
I found a long blonde hair in my food." He gestures with his hands to show the length of the hair he found. "I'm not the type to complain but..."
Before I go any further, I have to fill in a few relevant details. First, their server is definitely not a blonde. In fact, not one of the waitstaff working that night was a blonde. Our entire kitchen is "latino". They sport flat-top fade brush cuts, hidden beneath bandana's and turned back ball caps. The man's wife, however, did have blonde hair that reached the middle of her back. His son was rolling his eyes as his dad went on.
"I really feel that my entire bill should be free," he announced. "And this guy
only wants to take my dinner off the bill. This is the worst example of customer
service I've ever seen and this manager is incompetent." He flashes a glance at the
boss. "I have about 350 friends and business associates that I'm going to tell about
this and none of them will ever come here again."
When he first began his speech, a few people leaned out of the booths, curious to see what was going on. Between the background music and the normal diningroom
din, most could not hear what he was saying and thought that he was announcing a
birthday. They quickly rejoined their conversations and paid no attention to this guy. Fortunately, the two closest tables were "regulars", affectionately nicknamed "The Horse People" because they run a horse breeding and boarding farm a few miles outside of town. One of "The Horse People" retorted, "I eat here all the time! The food is always great and the service is excellent!" From the corner, another regular customer chimes in, "Cut him off!"
"Enjoy your hair food!" the man bellows as he finally surrenders his debit card to the manager. The family mills around the table while being cashed out and both the wife and son are trying to hide their faces. He signs the receipt and is escorted to the door.
As the table is being cleared, I notice that they've left three carryout boxes on the table. I quickly collect them and put them in a bag. I walk up to "The Horse People" and ask if they still have Wilbur, a pig they've been growing out for sometime now. "We sure do!", the lady responds. I present her with the bag of food, telling her that Wilbur's dinner is "on the house" tonight. Waste not, want not.

A Sketchy Public Service Announcement

2005-11-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

*No animals were injured while creating this video*

Panhandling, Homeless, and Hustling

2005-11-18T15:07:00.000-05:00

It was extemely cold yesterday, windy and snowing also. Restless, and
unwilling to fire up the furnace in my apartment, I threw on about 5 layers of
clothes, including my thermal underwear "union suit", and headed downtown.
Intent on walking around, taking pictures and filming, I got on the Transportation
Authority bus, paid my one dollar fare, and was on my way.
The bus was warm and I engaged in a pleasant conversation with another passenger during the ride. We parted company at the Transit Center, heading
off in different directions. I walked two blocks to Main Street, drinking
in the sights, thinking about the camera in my pocket and what I was going to
photograph. My stomach was beginning to growl and, out of habit,
I had a craving for a Fleetwood Diner cheeseburger. And then "it" happened,
right at the crosswalk at Main and Liberty.
"Hey Mister!", I heard a voice call out. I cringed, instinctively knowing what
was coming next. "Got any spare change, dude?"
Looking to my left, I see a guy, about 27 years old, dressed as normally as
anyone else on the street, with his hand out. "I just need a buck or two," he
throws in, as if that's going to make it easier. Just last month, I wrote about a scary experience when I felt threatened by a panhandler in nearly the exact same location. In fact, according to a local paper's monthly "Crime Map", this is the same location where numerous robberies, including daring daylight capers, have been happening over an extended period of time. Quickly and abruptly, I brush past the guy and am at the Fleetwood in two minutes.
While Elvis is cooking my burger, I start to think about this experience and to
discuss it with my waitress friend, Nola. We're both "streetwise townies" and it's
something that has hardened us to the growing panhandling situation in town. We know a lot of the "real" street people that are out there. We know them by name.
We know a little bit about their histories. We know where they hang out and the
games they run. And, we know their vices.
"Mary" is the Queen of the street people. She's been around forever and is
well known to everyone, including the police. I know her real name, that she is in her 60's, and that she's turned down offers that would get her off the street. She carries her belongings in plastic bags and when those bags get full, she fills a shopping cart with those bags. When one shopping cart is full, she fills another. When the second shopping cart is full, the police confiscate it. The contents end up in the dumpster behind the police station. Losing her precious boxes and newspapers infuriates Mary and she is always ready with a scalding "Anti-Law Enforcement" tirade after such an incident. That's when I know to avoid her.
There's "Danny", who, at one point in his life, was well on the way to collecting a pension from the local school system after spending more than 10 years as a janitor. He was pretty normal until his mother died. He lost his family, his home, and his job, hitting the streets with a bottle of hard liquour and a taste for crack cocaine. I saw Danny sprawled out on the Diag this summer and, after a short conversation, I gave him $5. He dissappeared into the liquor store with one of his street buddies as I watched from a distance.
In a west side park, carefully concealed beneath a tall, steep set of stairs, there's a old mattress, some filthy blankets, and plastic sheets to stop the rain. It looks like a kid's "fort" but it is home, at least for most of the year, to "Eddie", a guy that "Mary" helps and looks out for. Every morning at 6:30 a.m., Eddie sits through the required Bible reading, and then gets hot oatmeal, toast, coffee, and orange juice for breakfast at the Presbyterian food kitchen. Eddie earns extra cash by hustling. He very subtley let's people know that he'll "fall from grace" for a few bucks, meaning that he'll masturbate in front of you. For a few more bucks, he'll allow you "to fall from grace", meaning he'll let you do it for him. I've seen him run that game on a few desperate old gay men more than once. I guess all the Bible readings have taught him something.
The names and descriptions and descriptions could continue - "Moose" and the posse of teenage runaway boys he pimps out, the "Liberty Plaza Crackheads", eating out of the dumpster to envoke sympathy from tourists, "Nitrous John", and "Junkyard Johnny". I've met more than I care to admit. So when the normal looking 27 year old hit me up and I brushed him off, I don't think that I was being callous and uncaring at all. I was saving myself from inviting any more sadness and misery into my life. Maybe the next time, I'll spring for some hot food and coffee, set up my little video camera, and record an interview.
The attached picture is a quick sketch I did of Mary, without her knowing, in the Fleetwood a couple of years ago.

Wednesday Links

2005-11-16T14:55:00.000-05:00

I don't usually like to send people away from my page but, in the interest of service to my readers and "blog-ma", I have decided to provide a few links to other blogs that I've come across.
This first link is to "River Rant", a blog coming out of Dexter, Michigan. Keep that fact in mind while you're reading. The writing style is unique and he reminds me of someone that I met over a few cold ones at Dexter's Pub. If I showed his picture to my friend, Lisa, she'd most likely say that she went to high school with him or something. This guy doesn't like Kwami Kilpatrick, Geoffrey Feiger, or cats, so he can't be all bad. His major fault is admitting that he went to Michigan State.

The second link today is to "So, Cat Tacos?", an art blog with some really cool illustrations. Check it out if you like to draw.

Sketchy Lessons

2005-11-15T13:26:00.000-05:00

Apparently, our world is in desperate need of some help. I can provide that help, so let the file download!

2005-11-14T06:23:00.000-05:00

Sweatshirts, Jalapenos, lasagna, and traffic lights ...

... I purchased a sweatshirt from Ourmedia.org this weekend. It's a white hoodie that has the Ourmedia logo on the front and says "Join the citizens media revolution" on the back. It was a bit expensive but I believe in the site's purpose and future and wanted them to benefit. It was just my way of contributing for the services they provide. I really want to see Ourmedia succeed.
... I've never met an American president.
... I've met a few celebrities though. My "life list" includes Bob Hope, Barbara Eden, James Taylor, and Madonna.
... this weekend was really busy at work and I earned good money. With one more "home game" left in the season we exit "football Saturdays" and head into the "holiday rush".
...all three of the latest (new) servers have now quit. The latest, "K", called up last night from home, after her shift, and said she wasn't coming back - ever. "K" was the best of all three but once she was on her own and it got busy, she started to make mistakes and have problems. The job only looks easy. It isn't. I'm the only "waiter", again. The rest of the staff is all female. Furthermore, I'm the only male that has lasted in this environment. Scott (another "newbie") quit when he found out that it wasn't just "quick and easy cash" and that skill and knowledge were required.
... tips on Friday and Saturday nights average between 15% and 20%. On Sundays they always are around 11%. Why the difference? Moreover, why do I continue to work Sundays?
... I'm planning on having lasagna for my Thanksgiving dinner. Am I a good Italian boy, or what?
... I eat at least one Jalapeno chilipepper a day and have done so for a long time. This past summer, I didn't get one mosquito bite while in the woods or at the beach. Even those big blackdeerflies never attacked me. Who needs chemical insect repellants?
... I always want to bitch slap the driver who sits at the intersection and fails to notice that the traffic light has changed from red to green. The force of the slap should be in direct proportion to the length of time before he notices the change.

Friday Moanin' -- A Cumulative Post

2005-11-11T10:38:00.000-05:00

...I've got things to do today before I go to work but there's lots on my mind. I'll keep adding to this post with bits and pieces as the day wears on. Let's start with this for fun.

... Here's my opinion :

... fast food places always piss me off. I hate this chain's advertisements and
think that their new campaign is absolutely ruthless. How 'bout a little truth in advertising for a change of pace.

...The train tressels near town always seem to attract "taggers" that leave the cement walls messed up with obscenities. In the warmer weather, artists can go get a permit at City Hall and paint over them. The city even provides the paint free, you just have to go pick it up from the recycle center. Have a look:

...have a fun and safe weekend everybody! Drive Right!

I'm enjoying a little fantasy this week...

2005-11-09T13:54:00.000-05:00

...and, believe it or not, the fantasy is about work ! Is that
sick or what?!!
I nearly fell out of my chair when I stumbled across a job
listing in the classified section of the Sunday edition of the
local news. It is my "dream job" and when I read the ad, I
realized that I possess all the qualifications the employer is
looking for. I have the exact educational background
required, the managerial, administrative, and customer
service experience necessary, I am familiar with their
products, having used them in a previous work environment,
and (a very important point here) I am bilingual in both
Spanish and Portuguese, an essential skill for dealing with
the company's Latin American clients. The home office is
a short, easy commute and I am available for occasional
travel in Latin America to meet with clients. Immediately,
I wrote out a cover letter, printed my updated resume, found
an envelope and stamp, and mailed my documents to the
human resources contact in the ad.
Prior job hunting experience tells me that it takes a little
time for the ball to start rolling in situations like this. My
documents need to arrive, and, along with those coming from
other applicants, they needed to be reviewed and evaluated.
Then, there is the first, and hopefully, second, interview, the
decision making process, and the notification. I suspect that
the company plans to fill the position at the start of January.
And that is exactly why I am indulging in the "fantasy" part
of this whole experience right now. In all honesty, I can not
imagine that many people have better qualifications for the
job than I do, especially because of the languages required.
While at the sink, washing my dinner dishes, I see myself
going thru security at the local airport and boarding a plane
headed to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a week. I snap a
few pictures from the airplane window as we pass over
the Amazon Basin on the way there and the snow capped
peaks of the Andes Mountains on the way back. I imagine
the frigid February days when the temperature fights to hit
zero degrees and a week of meetings in tropical and warm
San Juan, Puerto Rico. I see myself posting to this blog
from a hotel room in Mexico. What the heck, they say that
visualization is the first step toward actualization, eh?

A special gift for a friend ...

2005-11-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

...will occupy some of my spare time this weekend. I want to get it ready
to take to the post office on Monday morning.
I am sending a CD that I downloaded and burned to a disc. It's mostly
Latin music, reggaeton and bachata's, with a cumbia and a mambo thrown
in to break things up. Other friends have listened to it and think it's a good
mix.
There's something else special about this CD though - the jewel case.
Recently, one of those "expensive ISP's" sent me a disc containing the
latest version of their software and a "10,000 hours free no risk trial". I
believe you know which ISP I am refering to. Anyway, having been burnt
once by that company's fine print and disclaimers, their CD went into the
trash. I kept the jewel case though. As much as I dislike this ISP, I have
to say that they send out the coolest jewel cases ever. This particular
one easily splits up into three plastic pieces so their advertising inserts
can be removed. Snapping the whole thing back together is, well - a snap!
The inserts got scanned into my photo editing program as templates for
the linernotes that I am personalizing.
The friend receiving this gift is living down in Cocoa Beach, Florida and
has been there for a couple of years now. He was a good friend, neighbor,
and constant companion before his departure. Regardless of how necessary
the move was, I was sad to see him leave. So far the linernotes look pretty
good as I try to design the accompanying booklet just as if it came with a
"real" CD. I have more than enough photographs of familiar faces and places
and faces to make it really personal and something that my friend will enjoy
looking at and keeping.
Everyone enjoys getting a little surprise in the mail every now and then, but
I noticed, as I started putting the project together, that I am enjoying the act
of "putting it together" also. It's amusing to look at those pictures, to use them,
and remember good times with my buddy. And the music isn't bad either!!

I'm getting so "trendy"...

2005-11-03T08:51:00.000-05:00

...good Thursday morning! In my usual a.m. "mood to write" mode I've decided to comment on my own blog. I checked on the "monetary value" of this site and was shocked to find out it isn't worth a damn thing. The official "html proclamation" of worth has been added to the template, forever changing the face of "Ten Megabytes".
Did you also notice the ClustrMap? I am now read "Internationally"! To my BlogFan in Brazil :

"Muito Prazer! Bem Vindo! Espero que voce chega a ler muitas veces mais!"

You see, I can write in either Portuguese, Spanish, or English. I choose to write in English, however, because there are Canadians reading this blog as well.

See you all later this afternoon!

It's becoming "trendy"...

2005-11-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

...for many retailers to hand out a magnetic stripped, plastic
"discount card" for use in their establishments. The businesses call them
"Rewards cards", "Plus Cards", "Bonus cards", or "Loyalty cards". I call them
a privacy invading nuisance.
My local grocer uses such a card and made it essential for the shopper to
sign up for one. The card found a home in my wallet, right next to my driver's
license, my credit card, and my bankcard. Now the gas station down the street
has their version of this card. So does the butcher, the baker, and candlestick
maker. Shheeeesh, my wallet is getting thicker by the hour.
I went to lunch the other day and the cashier's first question was, "Do you have
your Biggie Burrito card today?"
"I seem to have forgotten it", I admitted, almost ashamed of my lack of planning.
"Too bad!", the cashier lamented. "Your drink would have been free with it today."
She was almost scolding me!
At the grocery store, signs touting the advantage of being a "Plus Shopper" are
everywhere. Items are advertised as "10 for $10" or "4 for $4" on every shelf. At
the checkout, you scan the card, scan the items, and the price is adjusted accordingly.
What's going on behind the scenes seems a whole lot more sinister.
Most people forget that they filled out an "application" for their card when they got
it. It asked for detailed information and I seriously doubt that the majority of shoppers
ever questioned why a grocery store would ever need information like that. They just
answered the questions, turned the application in, got the card, and went along their
merry way. This is especially true of the older shoppers.
It is called "Information Gathering". Someone entered all the information you
so generously provided into a database and the grocer now has it saved. And they
are using it. They know your address, quite possibly your phone number, your account
number, the day you shop, the time you shop, what you buy, and how you pay. It is
privacy invasion, pure and simple, and you agreed to it.
Honestly, the system has some merit and benefit to the consumer. It helps to control
inventories and in selling the freshest product possible. It helps in having the right number of
employees ready to serve you during the busiest hours. However, any such "Plus" or
"Bonus" program is designed to benefit the retailer, not the consumer. Furthermore, it is
the use of the gathered information that concerns me the most. For the sake of example,
let's say that on August 23, I purchased a Walt Disney, "Tarzan II" DVD because it was
on sale. A month later, my mailbox is being filled with junk mail containing offers from
Colombia House Records, every local or national video rental store, video
game specialty stores, and more. At the same time, my phone is ringing off the hook with
telemarketing calls from travel agencies wanting to offer me discount rates to DisneyWorld
in Florida. I thought that I signed up for the "do not call" list! Guess again! When I signed
up for that "Plus" card, my signature gave the grocer the right to sell my information
to other associated retailers and vendors. I signed away my right to privacy and my right
to eat dinner undisturbed in a single stroke of the pen.
I didn't sign up for a card at the gas station and don't intend to. "Do you have your
rewards card?", the cashier asks when I make a purchase. "You can save 2 cents per
gallon on gas right now!", she chirps. It confirms my suspicion that their gasoline, like most
of the products they sell, is overpriced. Down the street I pay 20 cents less per gallon and
keep my private information private.

"Forums", "Message Boards", or "Groups" ...

2005-11-01T11:58:00.000-05:00

...caught my attention back when I still had "Webtv". The internet was "new"
to me and these were a fascinating way to communicate with people who shared
common interests in sports, hobbies, or fetishes. Much like a blog, publishing my
essays, photos, or art, and viewing what others
published, was interesting, educational, and entertaining. Somewhere along the
way, however, my opinion about these vehicles of communication changed and
I stopped frequenting them. I've pretty much deleted all my accounts on these
forums.
The change began after noticing the abundance of "trolls" and "flamers". Like
the legendary creature lurking under a bridge, the "trolls" would wait in gleeful
anticipation of a post or entry they could jump on and rip apart. It often got very
mean spirited and ugly. The same was true of the "flamers" but this type more
frequently attacked a specific target using the same tactics. Flamers seemed
to get more personal.
One group I frequented was dedicated to creative writing and contained essay,
prose, and more. It was created and hosted by a Florida woman using the screen
name, "Dreams and Chains". The group was flourishing with many new members
and contributors when "Dreams" was attacked by both the trolls and flamers. At
first she resisted taking the bait, but when the attacks became more frequent and more
personal, "Dreams" gave in and fought back. All too quickly, the group lost all its
solid content and was filled with rancid, hateful posts and membership dwindled.
"Dreams" thought that those attacks would be short lived but they eventually choked
the life out of her group. It was an formulated attack strategy I saw play out over and
over again.
I naively thought that, somehow, things would be different in the "computer world".
Recently, I "pulled the plug" on all the "hobbyist forums" I participated in, hitting the
"delete account" button on each one. I had the unpleasant experience of watching
the forum undergo a "coup", a power struggle for control that was planned and
executed from the forum administrator's basement. A psychotic housewife from a
backwoods Wisconsin town, she had her own agenda and stooped to unbelievable
depths to easily wrestle control out of the hands of an overburdened and apathetic
owner. She used many unscrupulous tactics in her plan. She was a convincing liar
with deceit, slander, and sabotage in her arsenal. The worst part of this was the fact
that she disrupted real lives when she actually met people at their homes, at club
meetings, or conventions when she traveled. The telephone and instant messaging
were among her favorite weapons. She seemed to have an "enemies list", targeting
members who would not go along with, or assist in, her nefarious plans for that forum,
one by one, causing them to leave. She would express public sadness at the departure
while taking secret delight in the success of her plan. To finalize her takeover plan, she
decided to "wipe the slate clean" and changed the web server, forcing everyone
to "re-register". A calculated move, many members never returned and she "grew" a
new membership.
This event touched me personally and when I deleted my account, I vowed that
I would never get involved in such a fiasco again. When using a forum to learn or
research a topic, I now "lurk" and never post. I use an e-mail address set up specifically
for forum membership purposes, I don't make "buddies". It's all very anonymous and
sterile.

A Most Memorable Character...

2005-10-30T14:16:00.000-05:00

"I love the friends I've gathered together on this thin raft!" crows Jim
Morrison, leader singer of the legendary rock group, The Doors. I feel
this way about my friend, Jorge Ilario.
We surround ourselves with all types of friends in this life, and fortunately
for me, Ilario is the wild and crazy type - a "cool" kind of wild and crazy though.
He's unpredictable. A week ago, I pulled into my usual parking spot and made
my way to the back entrance of my building. I heard a soft, "Pssst!" followed
by a familiar whistle coming from a bush on the pathway. I looked over, and
there Ilario was, squatting, low to the ground, on his knees. "Open the door!"
he instructed. Once the door was open, he darted past me, running up the
stairs to my apartment door. He tried to quiet me down, an impossible task
as tears were nearly running down my face from laughing so hard.
"She's after me!" he explained, "She's chasing me all over the place!"
I knew what he was talking about. A cute little blonde was circling the parking lot,
going the wrong way on a one way driveway. She almost hit my truck
"head on" while trying to catch him and spoil any plans he had for the rest of the
evening. He sought refuge in the bushes, waiting until I arrived. It's a typical
scene too.
Jorge is from Honduras, coming from a small and very poor pueblo outside
the capital. Without romanticizing poverty, those humble circumstances
contribute greatly to his perspective on life today. He appreciates what he
has accumulated and accomplished today and this makes me appreciate things
that I would ordinarily take for granted. We communicate in "Spanglish", one
sentence in English, the next in Spanish, and the next two in English again. It
works well for us and confuses others. A "latino identity" brings with it a certain
unique view on life and a part of that is a happiness, a joy, or appreciation of life
living, and of being alive. It is mostly easily witnessed in the vibrant latin music
and dance. It transcends the music and manifests itself in an energetic,
enthused approach to life. Again, I benefit from exposure to this perspective.
During this life, we will make many acquaintances. We will make far fewer
friends. I am pleased to be able to call Jorge Ilario my friend and hope he will
be a part of my life for a long time to come.

I thought that my first "restaurant" post...

2005-10-29T13:22:00.000-05:00

...would be about "memorable" clients I've served over the years, but it's not. If
I were to send a postcard into PostSecret today, the words would be (in a big, bold
font) "Someone's Gonna Get Canned !" I know who, and why.
The fact is, that being a server isn't the easy, blow off job many consider it to
be. And all the waiters and waitresses out there are not the "shining examples of
hospitality" that they consider themselves to be. There are a lot of bad servers out
there. And one of them is about to get fired.
One of our "part time" servers who only works a couple of night shifts every week,
decided to have lunch in the restaurant with her mom and another guest. recently.
Their server was a relatively recent hire who works only weekday lunches. The two
servers would never have had the chance to meet, much less work together. I work
with the "night server" often and know how good she really is. We close the
restaurant together and make a very good team. In a private conversation recently,
Night Server" confided in me that the service was "poor at best" and she told me what
was lacking. I have no reason to doubt her.
"Night Server" was more interested in a pleasant lunch with than anything else and
she ignored the poor service in favor of the conversation. "Day Server" had
no clue that she was a fellow employee. When the meal ended, "Night Server's" mom
paid the bill with a credit card, the tip was left on the table, in cash. It's a fact that
servers usually turn the philosophy of "karma" into the philosophy of "tip-ma" and are
more generous than the average patron. But when "Night Server's" mother checked the
monthly credit card statement, she noticed that an additional $10 tip was added when
the check was closed out. There seems to be an integrity issue here.
The whole dilemna is about to discretely go to the restaurant owner along with the
supporting evidence, paperwork, and witness statements. It's going to set off all sorts
of bells, whistles, and sirens inside the owner's mind. Among the core staff, those of
us who have been around for a long time, we've already started a "pool", betting a
few of our hard earned tips on "Day Server's" termination date.

My doorbell doesn't ring...

2005-10-28T15:29:00.000-05:00

...on Halloween so I am working all weekend instead. In all the years that
I've lived here, I have yet to get any ghouls or goblins begging for sweets
at my door. It's a shame actually. Some of the best memories of my youth
are of selecting a scarey costume, finding an old pillowcase, going
door-to-door with my cohorts, and coming home with enough candy to
last until December.
There are plenty of kids in the neighborhood. The first year that I lived
here, I bought a couple of bags of the good miniature candybars . It
was the "real stuff" too, not the Dollar Store knock-offs that are "2 for $1.00".
I was ready, but, by the time the 11 o'clock news came on, there
was only half a bag left and a small mountain of crumpled wrappers on the
coffee table. I tried making sense of this "Mystery of the Missing Trick or
Treaters" and was about to write it off as a "cultural thing" but the fact that
Univision and Don Fransico had been promoting "Dia de Brujas" during
every "anuncio commercial" for an entire week, would not let me. It was
as closely linked to "Dia de los Muertos" as could it be and I know that the
little " hispanos" all knew the drill.
It was a "mom" who clued me in and solved the mystery. It seems that most
parents don't consider the apartments a "safe or appropriate place to trick
or treat". They think their kid is going to come home with a crack rock wrapped
up in a plastic bag if they come through "the hood". Furthermore, most kids
don't know how to yell "Trick or Treat" in Spanish. It's all nonsense. Nowadays,
the kids dress up and go to their school for a party. After bobbing
for apples and a small musical presentation, they go out as a group and
trick or treat in the "safe" neighborhoods surrounding the school. The whole thing
is chaperoned and supervised. The truth is that they go to the rich neighborhoods,
where they get the full size, name brand candy bars.
Since I'll be working, it really doesn't make any difference to me anyhow. Besides, my doorbell doesn't ring...