| I made a new friend this morning. |
[Nov. 24th, 2009|06:36 pm] |
I try to abstain from making mundane autobiographical posts about life and whatnot, but some stories are just too good to not be told.
I woke up at 7 this morning. Ian had a bit of a fever and decided to take it easy today, and I wanted to help him out a bit by going to Hannaford and buying him some medicine and food-for-sick-people. I had gone out for bananas, apples, juice, crackers, and Dayquil. I came back with apples, bananas, and Dayquil. I had left one of my bags at the Supermarket.
I made the five-mile ride back in to pick up the items I had left behind, brought them to Ian, and hit the road for work. I was a little flustered but knew I would get there on time.
Driving down Route 2, I was startled by the car in front of me when it abruptly braked. I let off the gas and realized that they had almost hit a dog. Carefully, I approached, and the Beagley-looking thing did happy circles around my car and trotted around right in front of my bumper as I tried to pull over. This dog, I thought, is going to get hit by a car. I hit my hazard-light switch and carefully opened the driver's-side door, calling to the dog. "Hey, you! Hey, pretty!" Gleefully, he moved toward me. Noticing that he had no collar, I got a gentle grasp on the scruff of his neck and opened the driver's-side back door. The dog very willingly obliged.
As I closed the door to secure the dog, I looked around. There was nobody on foot near by, but there were a few houses near by. I chose the one closest to me and knocked on the door. Nobody answered. There was a television on, however, and a scruffy-looking barking dog. I rang the doorbell, and still nobody came to the door. With a shrug, I went back to my car. The Beagle-ish dog was baying and whimpering, but calmed down when he had company again. I'll just take him to the shelter in Bangor, it's kind of on the way to work, I figured. The dog bounced around the car, leaving nose-prints on the windows and muddy footprints on the seats. Clearly, the dog belonged to somebody. He was (fairly) well-behaved and well fed.
There were some folks out behind the Bangor shelter walking dogs, so I told them that I had found a stray and didn't know what to do with it. Somebody came around to meet me at the front door of the building. They asked where I found the dog.
"Route 2. Somewhere near the Orono/Veazie line."
"Did you find it in Orono or Veazie?"
"I think I was in Orono."
They proceeded to explain to me that they do not handle animals found in Orono and that I had to go to a shelter in Old Town. Well enough! A little back-tracking never hurt anybody... right? Old Town is right next to Orono... However, I never knew that there was a shelter in Old Town, and here's why:
The shelter was 10 miles back up the highway. Past Veazie, past Orono, off of a cracked street that goes up beside a small airport (feild). After asking a kind lady at the Department of Conservation office where the shelter was, I was sent in the right direction.
I was now quite late for work.
Eventually, I got the Beagle to the Old Town shelter. The attendant there wanted some identification to prove that I was an Orono resident, and I explained to her that I graduated from college recently and therefore my license said that I was from Saco. Reluctantly, she told me to bring the dog around. She took down my phone number and address, and I parted ways with my road-tripping friend.
The moral of this story is that if you see a dog running around the road and are worried about it, chase it over the border to Veazie before taking it into your car.
That dog was a sweetheart. I hope he finds his folks soon! |
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| Meme from Lizzie! |
[Nov. 9th, 2009|06:32 pm] |
Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
• I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity.
• Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
• Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions
Thanks for the questions, Liz! You should totally hit me up for some if you want to continue the vicious Meme cycle. :P
1. When did you first start drawing?
Everybody doodles when they're a kid, don't they? I just never stopped. :)
2. Do you have siblings? I am apparently clueless about this part of people's lives.
Yep! I've got an older brother. He's an engineer.
3. Did you play on any sports teams when you were in school (including elementary/rec teams)?
Nope! I am the least athletic person in the entire world.
4. Which celebrity, if any, would you say has had the greatest effect on you?
I want to be Geddy Lee when I grow up.
5. Who was your favorite power ranger?
The Polka-Dot Ranger. I made her up. She was awesome and had a cheetah robot.
I am so cool. |
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| Cutest Erasers Ever |
[Oct. 15th, 2009|04:26 pm] |
The Grasshopper Shop in Bangor carries Japanese erasers.
They are adorable.
Really, I could never bring myself to use these because they are too adorable. Though the orange one is ambiguous. Is it a kitty, or a puppy!? I think it's supposed to be a puppy. But it's so... cat.
I had to get the pink panda because it reminded me of my "Exes for Eyes" project. |
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| Entitlement and Bratty Kids. |
[Oct. 12th, 2009|09:12 am] |
I made this post on a Kotaku article regarding why manga sells in Japan and not in the US, but it will probably never see the light of day there because I'm not cool enough to pass their "audition" process.* Well enough, but it's getting posted here!
I think that folks in the United States are a lot more shameless about downloading anime and manga content. "I mean, it's on the Internet, it's supposed to be free, right?"
In the US, there exists a sense of entitlement not found in other cultures. Kids (and adults alike) feel that they deserve to have things for free.
On the other hand, you have people who fancy themselves as intellectuals, and insist that American companies botch the content and lose many things in translation. They refuse to support an industry which, in their minds, is doin' it wrong. Many of these people refuse to give credit when something has been done correctly-- It happens once in a blue moon, and the companies responsible for it are seldom rewarded. (Synch-Point took on the very difficult, culture-rich Furi Kuri series, for example, including notes in the manga and DVD releases explaining things like an independent translator might do. The company went under not too long after.)
DISCUSS: Bratty kids, Entitlement, Scanlations, Freeloading.
*EDIT: This comment was approved and appears on the article page. Sweet. |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 26th, 2009|11:50 am] |
I should try to get a job as a macro-putter-togetherer. |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 11th, 2009|06:46 pm] |
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Rest in Peace, Larry Gelbart! :( |
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| Moose Story |
[Aug. 11th, 2009|06:56 pm] |
(6:50:04 PM) F754C: HAd a close encounter with a moose this morning.
(6:50:20 PM) Ian <3: yeah?
(6:50:37 PM) F754C: Yup.
(6:50:45 PM) F754C: Route 9. 4:45AM.
(6:51:27 PM) F754C: Cruisin' with my high-beams on, I saw what looked like a guy in a white shirt and khakis or something crossing the road. "What the hell is that?" I let off the gas and coasted until I came to realize that there wasn't a dude crossing the road at all-- That was a moose ass and legs.
(6:53:00 PM) F754C: The critter did a lanky trot up the opposite lane for a while, zigzagging along and looking a little alarmed, but not necessarily hurried.
(6:53:19 PM) F754C: It eventually found a path in the woods, probably where it came from, and left the road.
(6:53:47 PM) Ian <3: huh
(6:54:01 PM) Ian <3: Hooray! Amanda's alert that early!
(6:54:14 PM) F754C: As I made my way onto 9, I was thinking, "Hrrmm. It's raining. The deer will be on the move." Never thought I'd see a moose!
(6:54:16 PM) F754C: Heheheeee
(6:54:19 PM) F754C: Yeah, that woke me up good.
(6:54:35 PM) F754C: Thank god for the high-beams and the white ass, though. Moose are VERY hard to see. High beams don't even bounce off of their eyes, and they are a very dark brown.
(6:54:50 PM) Ian <3: yeah they are
(6:55:31 PM) F754C: I came to work and relayed the story starting with, "So, almost hit a moose this morning," but re-appraising the situation, I had plenty of time and didn't slam on the breaks at all. I came to a pretty slow stop; somebody tailgating me probably wouldn't have rear-ended me.
(6:55:55 PM) F754C: Lots of space between me and the moose at any given time, too. If it weren't for those high-beams, though, I probably wouldn't have seen the moose until it was sitting in my passenger seat. |
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| On Friday Night... |
[Aug. 2nd, 2009|07:51 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Rush -- Entre Nous | ] |
Ian got me a Rush poster!!!!!
What. |
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| THANKS TONY |
[Jul. 20th, 2009|07:36 pm] |
(Extra points for identifying the meaning of this post's title.)
I usually come back from these weekends with a great thankfulness for the opportunity to be in the company of some great folks. This past weekend was no exception! The summertime months are always too short, making me all the more appreciative of these fleeting gatherings. I shall express my gratitude in the form of album linear notes.
Thank You: Julie and Ryan, for hosting this business and bringing everyone together. Without your initiative, I would have never left the house. Ian, for the backrubs and dealing with my moodiness all the time. Riz, for all the Penalties. Mick, for the well-mixed ride to the swimming hole, and making a mean stew. Mel, for the way you said "IT HAS THOR ON IT!" Sam, for trucking all the way up here from away to come to these things. Dan, for killing me in the kitchen. Anna, for becoming related to another friend of mine and being a Poker-n00b with me. Brian, for starting to bring the PortCon Band to life. Nate, for the beef. Shawn, for making eggs and toast for lazy bastids like me. Chris, for making a cameo. With sausage. Family Dollar for the cheap-tastic sales-tax-free towels. 1999 Buick Regal for eating my glasses with your trunk. Shaw's Brand Somethingorother for making a half-affordable spray-on sunscreen. All the Bugs for the persistent biting, despite the fact that I bathed in DEET all weekend.
If I forgot you, just remember this: I am a total JERK. (And I'm sorry, too.) |
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| Blogger |
[Jul. 18th, 2009|12:14 am] |
Hay guise. I have another thing to log into now.
Livejournal is a great place for keeping up with friends, but it's not so great for the art-blog dealio. The gaudy ads are kind of a deal-breaker for me, I guess, so I'm giving Blogger a try as a place to compile some of my favorite sketches and art.
Is anybody else on Blogger? Post a link for me so that I can properly keep track of you there. :) Nami, you made a blog there, right?
I have been awake for 20 hours too many today. I am go to teh sleep dot com. |
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| The Internet is a funny thing. |
[Jul. 2nd, 2009|11:52 pm] |
Ever dump something on a Web site and re-visit it a year later to realize that a whole bunch of people have checked it out?
Five thousand in a year is hardly groundbreaking in the world of YouTube, but I think it's kinda neat. And I guess they liked it? That's not a bad rating. |
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| PortConMaine 2009 |
[Jun. 23rd, 2009|07:29 pm] |
In a word: Awesome. We had some great folks in the Artists' Alley this year: The lovely Kori, YNC, Cloe, Rebecca Powers, Susan Boisvert and her adorable yarn "Pretties," Team THRASH, AirRaiser, Mikko / GraphicallyDelicious, Anna Lencioni, Beany, Arty, Mere (Pronounced "Meyr" ;) ), Zuri (GOSH you look sleepy!), Zodi-ACK productions, Keet (AWESOME Chesire cats!), Puptart Studios, Autumn at The Brick Shoppe ("I'm a Lego sculptor, 'kay?"), Joe Dodge, Mark Anderson, PopCult Anime, Plastic Love Studios, and Willow.
... And the guests! Tom Brown and the musical Cormac Brown, Garth Grahm and all the sexy ladies he draws, Mookie -- who looks great in a little purple dress, Cosplay and Prop Master Sketch, and of course, Relatively Unamused-Looking Pen-of-Justice Attendees Jon-and-Mike ("THIS TABLET SUCKS!!!").
If I've forgotten anybody, I'm sorry. I'm a total JERK! sometimes.
I really hope that I've been a good coordinator for all of you. Me and the rest of my Army of Three are there to get everybody situated in the most favorable way possible. Thanks a lot for coming out and making the Artists' Alley the Best Alley EVER! -- I could be just saying this out of obligatory end-of-convention-hoorah, but it really is true. I was thoroughly impressed by the variety of art styles and products that we had available this year. I hope that everybody's creativity paid off, and that everybody had a good time. I'm not happy unless the Alley is happy-- And I was feelin' alright this year, so it seems that the vibes were good. :)
And thanks to everybody who signed the Artists' Alley guestbook, too! It's hilarious to have a look through it. I'm going to keep it in my Box-'o-Artists' Alley stuff and add to it each year! It's a good way to remember who was there and what they did. We had so much talent this year, holycrap.
I leave you with these seemingly meaningless phrases.
JERKS!
Comma Comma Comma
Extreme Geek Totally Sucked
PRETTY
PRETTY
PRINCESS
- Archimer |
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| I was hiding under your porch because I love you |
[May. 29th, 2009|11:48 pm] |
A while back, I had myself a rant about how Wall-E was probably one of my least favorite movies ever, and how I couldn't understand why everybody loved it so much. Pixar, I decided, was awfully overrated. Sure, their films were cute, but that gets old quick.
I think there are still people out there who will not talk to me anymore because of that post.
Pixar's craft, visually, has always been stunning, but I had been waiting for them to push the conceptual envelope. Up is a decidedly major turning point for the studio. It seems like the studio is growing up, and exploring some of the darker aspects of life-- While still remarking on its joy and fleeting beauty (or something poetic-sounding like that). Up isn't just a funny film with some kind of serious undertone; it is a clever film. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, but above all, it makes you think.
I encourage everybody who reads this to go see this movie (because I liked it and I am clearly teh bezt criticz everz). Avoid the 3D if you can-- Though the technique is masterfully undertaken, Up does not require such gimmicks to be effective. |
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| Anime Boston 2009 |
[May. 26th, 2009|12:24 pm] |
Anime Boston 2009 has come to pass. It is necessary to commemorate this most jovial of occasions with a few reflections.
Mick at a Bar
A group of us went to a bar suggested by Mick's boss at Portland Radio Group. It was remarkably like a crowded subway car. It turns out that there was a Sox game that night. I can't complain; we got to sit down and get out of the way of the mens' room door at some point. Compared to the din of Anime Boston, this bar was a very nice and quiet place.
Mick at a Bar in I-Drank-My-Beer-Too-Fast Vision
It was kind of nice. After a beer each, we went to Shaw's and then back to the hotel room. I think Ian and I hit the pool after that. It was pretty unremarkable.
The Lone Hot Dog
At one point, we saw a hot dog in the crowd. This is appropriate. I just realized that I also got David Bowie from the Labyrinth in this image, which is a joyous discovery. I thought I had missed all of my chances to get a picture of this guy. It's one of the handful of things that stand out in a weekend full of wandering and panel attendance. I do believe that Ian and I were on our way to the Steampunk photoshoot-- We all met in an upstairs hallway.
Lots of people want pictures.
There were a lot of folks doing the Steampunk thing this year. It was very cool to be part of it all. Mick's idea to assemble an airship crew was a great plan. I just wish that we'd been able to wander around the convention as a group more often.
Classy Bastards.
Look at those classy ol' chaps. The guy in the armor? That's my man. Yeah, Ian! Work it. The courtyard was an amazing place to take pictures at this time of day. It made me wish that I had a proper camera in-tow... but then I remembered that I was part of the Steampunk rukus, and that this was probably the coolest thing ever.
"I'm up here, buddy."
There were lots of people with "proper cameras" about, and I shall have to see if I can hit them up for prints from the event. This dude was very interested in the hand-bag that Julie had made for herself. She later remarked that this happened a couple of times to her over the course of the convention. "Everybody wants pictures of the bag. I don't get it." It's because we're all in awe of your sack, Julie.
Storm the Fountain! [Photo by Johnny Bash -- Thanks, man!]
The group eventually stormed the fountain in the Hynes courtyard thing. Everybody was eventually waved off of it by convention center security, but it was fun while it lasted. The ranks had thinned a bit by this point, but there are still a lot of us! Everybody has such great props and costumes. It's sweet. :D Our crew (from the H.M.A. Nobile) is peppered among the crowd in this picture. Ian, Julie, Ryan and I are to the right, while Mick is showing some leg in the front center, there.
Planning awful, awful things.
After dinner, it was time to get ready for Extreme Geek. Ian and I had managed to miss just about every panel we wanted to go to on Saturday, and it turned out that one of them was a re-run. We rallied up with the PortCon crew to help set up for The Game Show to End All Game Shows.
THIS AIN'T SEAWORLD. IT'S AS REAL AS IT GETS.
Extreme Geek opened with an almost-full panel room and a recitation of The Lonely Island's "On a Boat." These are your mature hosts, Jekka, Mick, and Julie. Over the course of the game, Ian and I played on the Mainer team with Ragabash, Bad Juju, and... a couple of other people whose names I really should know but do not. Ian volunteered for Scattegories, having completely forgotten what "Scattegories" really is, and was punished with the obligation to eat some terrible, vile crap that Julie mixed up.
The Mainer team lost horribly.
Extreme Geek really was the end of the weekend for Ian and I. We hopped the 11:10AM Downeaster train from North Station on Sunday morning. |
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