Rage Vent

Well if I needed any other incentive to gtfo of my current occupational sinkhole then this has been a banner week. One write up that multiple (dozen or more) people were guilty of doing and I was the only one written up. On top of that they have the nerve to boot me from their velvety lounges to an auxiliary campus with no real warning. I've never been the least bit of scolded for Christ's sake. I've had a few counselling sessions or unofficial, "Hey, this is what's going on..." meetings with the honchos, but nothing to even hint at a negative perception (mine or theirs) at what I do. This was my first write up ever with these people (3 years unblemished) and in a matter of a week the shit hit the fan.

Options:

1) Maintain current assignment/transfer

2) Seek alternative/similar assignment

3) Go back to school *shudder*

4) Seek alternative field of employment

This is a difficult decision to make and I won't take it lightly but I needed to formulate my thoughts and just expressing a less than detailed version of the past transpiration of events has cooled my temper for the time being. Whatever I chose I think I'll be more available for creative purposes or I may shift my energies to health issues (could still stand to lose some more weight/exercise more).

Any-who...more OCs will be up within May/June for sure, the idea to post everything in a wiki for shared creation has really helped. I have 2 finished and 2-3 on their way, plus a few original works I've been putting off.

Also planning on catching up on reading a lot this summer so I can dismiss some of this obscene stack that's erected itself beside my bed/behind my door. Speaking of, be sure to check out ebay when I do, lots of odds and ends will be there from everything i go through this summer (link to follow).

Frustrated with DA's pic limit

DeviantArt's 1000 pic per search limit has finally pissed me off more than I can idly sit by and stomach. I was looking for a VERY unique combination of very common words and phrases and kept hitting the limit with nothing to show for it. I browsed the forums innocently enough looking for one that met my needs at the time and found a few similar 'request-style' threads in GenChat. Well I get somewhere around 12 hours of asshats that really needed to troll-skulk on back to 4chan and another 2-3 decent, helpful sentiments.

Anyway if anyone happens to come across this, I'm still on the lookout (until you see "Tempest"'s bio posted).

I'm looking to redesign/revamp a Dungeons & Dragon's Longtooth Shifter. My DM(s) and I are in agreement that it wouldn't fit to be a lazy [artistically] dog-head. So we've compromised with a humanoid appearance and cannine features.

Repeat: NO 'blantant/lazy' dog head

By our reckoning, shifters are said to be lycanthropes with more feral features than their were-* cousins. They're also permanently in this state without the monthly recovery period.

i.e. teeth, eyes, body hair, *slightly* exaggerated features ( skull, muscles, etc), but distinctively humanoid--otherwise it'd just be a gnoll.

Major Update!

F.M.L.
...
that is all...

Forthcoming Creations

No, I do not realize how long its been since I updated this thing. I have uncovered a few projects I've done in previous years and finally acquired a document camera in order to post them up on DevART.

Development on my DnD OCs is finally nearing fruition, just trying to add a few details and role-playing elements to them, expect to see backstories, etc on each of them soon: Artificer, Barbarian, Bard, and Swordmage.

Toying around with World of Warcraft and League of Legends. Scrambling to finish a few other OCs and designs.

To [Blogg]er Is Human...Rebuttle

I still only upkeep a few sites at a time, one less so now that MySpace seems to be fizzling out next to the bright and polished facebook. Still don't expect too many pics of me. I have a very nice smile in my opinion, but I can't pose for it. It either occurs naturally or not at all--school pictures growing up were pale imitations. Will still check it occassionally for contact information and upkeep.

DeviantArt has quite a few online acquaintances and page-following buddies of mine, but I can finish or publish any form of an artistic piece so rarely that I'm VERY behind with them.

I black, delete, or report spam almost any other social networking site other than facebook and myspace. We've not been out of school long enough nor far enough away from town to join class reunion sites. Still only a sporadic lurker in the rare-enough forum scroll.

My work schedule keeps tabs or claws on me for the most part of any weekday. Otherwise I try to balance my weekends between family, friends, and self-isolation.

My social life has somewhat death-rattled in that I am now going out and meeting new people (single and otherwise) on the occassion I'm invited to them.

Still not satisfied with my life for the most part--at least in some aspects. Thought I would be so much further ahead than I am now its sad and it's making me want to move forward. Fear and comfort and aparthy and weighing my down. Drastic personal-life actions may need to take place. :P

To [Blogg]er Is Human...

I have a few sites I keep updated on. I'm not a camwhore who posts hundreds or thousands of photos on the internet. In fact until recently I had in the neighborhood of 20 tagged images from 3 whole years of college facebooking to my name.

I get easily frustrated with the ads, spam, and load times some people program in to their myspace pages so I keep it around for little more than an additional way to contact me (for some people, its the only).

DeviantArt has quite a few online acquaintances and page-following buddies of mine, but I can finish or publish any form of an artistic piece so rarely that I'm VERY behind with them.

Too many so-called friends are joining social networking or class reunion sites that I've just stopped deleting them and am actively blocking them from my regular email account(s).

I am not a forum troll, though I lurk occasionally in one or two as interests momentarily spike for whatever reason.

I keep no consistent schedule of social activities except for a weekly game with a few friends on Sunday afternoon.

My work schedule keeps tabs or claws on me for the most part of any weekday.

My social life, not that is was ever thriving, is shrivelled to the point of pruning.

Is this what life is as you grow up? It seems the more I try to hang on to any one thing the more others suffer. The variety of things that I attempt overrides and nullifies many well-meant intentions. If so I'm not entirely sure I want to go through with it. I must find some semblance of balance, some...middle ground if I want to get out of this phase with any sanity or innocence left.

Stumbling Further Down A Nerdy Rabbit Hole

So its no surprise to me or anyone else I know, but I'm a nerd, geek, a semi-tech savvy delver into all things cast off from the rigorous judge-me-nows of society. As further evidence of this I submit one of my more recent excursions in to that-which-spawns-conventions, Dungeons & Dragons.

[Ok, no more hyphenated descriptions, lol]

I've always known about it. Whether the normees out there want to admit it or know, they have too. It's typically seen as people playing it in their basement or backyards in full fantasy-spoof regalia and keeping a strict sense of pseudo-parliamentarian procedures to simply tell a story. Said situation is more closely tied to LARPers (Live Action Role Playing).

I'm taking about the improvisational (only one person the DungeonMaster aka author truly knows what's going to happen) experience of getting together with friends periodically and just experience a different, animated twist on a story whether you prefer reading, movies, video games, etc. Artists of whatever discipline bring their own unique experiences and descriptors to a story. If you remember the "Choose your own adventure" storybooks, its similar to those except you get input from multiple people and absolutely anything can and will happen in these games. You could take just the exact same 3 people, present them with 3 successive, recurring fights (3 fights, same situation every time) and they can very easily come out completely different.

DnD (D&D, AD&D, or ADnD) utilizes a d20 (20-sided dice or a icosahedron) system that adds the random effect or 'life-element' to the game since nothing is ideal or perfect in life. But more than that is an outlet for creative juices to flow. I, myself, am very dedicated to the creation and speculation part of an idea, but I typically lack follow-through to complete one. This gives me an arena where not only myself, but others have/had similar problems and can offer constructive criticism when needed or merely a wall to bounce around ideas. And yes, some of my friends who play are taking/encouraging me to attend a convention in the future to see what they're like.

I won't even try though would wish luck to anyone trying to find all the DnD references throughout pop culture. Any fantasy game (video or otherwise) is loosely based on it, Futurama dedicated an entire movie to it (Bender's Game). And many Hollywood celebrities admit to having/still playing the game. Most shocking of them is Vin Diesel (see YouTube for many different interviews about this).

I am currently on my first character and look forward to developing him as he levels up through the campaign my friends and I are done. No details as I'm still hammering our names, background, etc for a sketch, but I will tell you he is currently a lvl 2 Dwarven Bard.

Frustrational Inspiration

Warning: Vent
Well I'm sure most of you are more in to this cyber-lifestyle that has taken the country by storm more so than I. Yes, I'm of the current generation and yes, I partake in it to my own satisfaction, but I'm not an over obcessive addict (I hope.) Anyway on jumping accounts and just getting updates, checking emails, and general fuck-it activities this late night/early morning I see quite a few of my old friends (male and female) updating with weddings, births, and all the general "how my life is going" mumblings that make people like me, still woking on our life, pissed off and upset. I'm not frustrated enough [yet] to research, document, bookmark, dog-ear, or publish a manifesto, but I'm damn near close. I'm completely aware that most of it is my fault, I'm a self-proclaimed late bloomer. I had my whole identify crisis and pseudo-rebellion phase in college and maybe bleeding over a little into now, rather than most of my friends who had it in middle or high school. I already have a semi-permanent job and apartment, etc but things WILL and MUST change this year if I want to make any more variations later on.

1) Health/Physique

I WILL exercise more. I will document and keep a journal going of exactly what I do and my alledged progress (Dr's office for scale at start?) including various body measurements

2) Occupational

I hate my current job. I WILL strive to find a new, less stressful way to do it or I WILL look for another one at my earliest inkling of a forthcoming break.

3) Relational/Experience

I WILL swallow my fear/pride/ineptness and ask more girls out. I am willing to go back to a church for the off-chance to meet a single girl, but more likely I will look for them more at the eventuality of taking masters level courses. I also want to experience more in life so I will try to go out with my friends and their spouses in another effort to meet people.

4) Educational

I WILL look out for myself and try to differentiate what Masters program(s) I would like to go into and isolate what, is any other, minors I should finish up accordingly.


***This is a very rough draft, if I get infuriated from life or something specific I will copy-paste this and expand it to a full blown manifesto and cite my progress.

Time Travel Destination

First random idea or question of my blog! Came up in a conversation with a few buddies of mine:

If you had to choose, would you go forwards or backwards in time and why? (for the record a random one-shot trip)

I'd have to say forwards. I am a fan of history and enjoy studying and speculating as to what happened, why and all that; but I am just as interested in the possibilities of the future. I'm intriqued by the assumtion of aliens, space travel, etc. In my own humble opinion the human race has become stagnant for the most part in the 21st century. In the 20th we invented, evolved, and damn-near perfected flight, automotive, computers, etc. Now that we've gotten those you see how little has changed in say...the last 25 years.

Ok I need to work on length and depth of articles but its a WIP.

Beer Before Wicker...

Alright, been slacking off, but apparently that's true to form for any of you that know me. This is one of those lovely nights of communal drinking that are so few and far between now-a-days that something memorable always happens. This one was the christening of my old buddy's first house. A bachelor pad to say the least, but it is a 2 story, 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage, with a den, livingroom, media room, and more hole-in-the-wall closets than I have ever seen. Unlike many of our get togethers this one was just a 'come and drink' sort of shindig and we were well afforded the courtesy of our own 2 hour drive to get there. I'm still unable to tolerate beer unless forced to, but I am becoming partical to the Rum and Coke or similar variant. And two of my buddies know exactly how much to mix them well.

Anyway, we got there about 4pm and were already well into the reserves by 7 and it was obvious we were going to run dry shortly unless we paced ourself or got more. Well a *new* friend of mine was knocking them back a bit more than I and suggested we "just head on over to the Wicker Store and get some more."

"What, and pick up some chairs and a cabinet while were there?" lol.

Also had my first made-from-scratch mojito. I liked it and wish Seth many good things as he goes to get a TABC liscense later this year to bartend.

Dick-Rolled

***Please be warned that this article involves sexual content of a devious and fairly graphic nature and that you read further at your own discretion. I don't want to limit my own commentary on something I'm writing mainly for me to begin with, so don't make a fuss if you don't like this--I WARNED YOU. Besides, unless something major happens this is probably the worst thing that will ever be on here.***

What better way than to start my summer writing program with a blog that REQUIRES a disclaimer, lol. I wanted to start out with something that would define the mood I'm trying to set with this piece--mainly that would translate to some random phrase or topic that I'd develop into...I dunno, something. So imagine my own surprise when I mentally make the decision to write this. I should be ashamed :).

I'm not exactly sure why its funny, why we react the way we do, or why girls don't; but most* guys don't like looking at another guy's "equipment." Call it a sick and twisted sense of penis-envy or a don't-ask-don't-tell situation, we just don't care for it unless it's necessary. I know of some girl friends that don't have a problem with looking at another female's--keep reading and you'll find out just how this came up in an everyday conversation. But they critique each other's parts! If a female does perchance read this--please email me and let me know why.

Anyway, my own persona experience in this was limited until college for obvious and personal gender-specific reasons. I had a roommate who liked to streak around our shy upstairs neighbor (photo major who was too shy to take or be in the same room for a nude photo session--one of her test grades--so I guess he was trying to help. And then him again when he and her roommates were able to get her to take some. She handed us her portfolio before turning it in and she really does have a great eye for scenery and texture in photographs, especially in grey scale. So we were perusing her sleeved photos when we get to one of a dilapidated barn and the shadows are striking it magnificently and then...guy standing in front of it with his cock 'splayed. *groans and moans* abound, mostly for her benefit and an over-the-top Shatner-esque overreaction on all of our parts one after the other. They do somehow manage to let us all (5) see it without any foreshadowing or spoilers from the other roommates/friends. We had been dick-rolled.

Fast forward to this past week. Porn for some friends is a basic topic--style, makeup of couple/group, animated vs real, etc. I don't understand the passionate side of this discussion and maybe its the way I was raised, but I can't comfortably talk in length about it. But amongst my friends that can, they swap discs with each other and offer commentated notes on each others'. Well one of them I've known a long time decides to pass me one this week, says I'll "enjoy the thought, given my back ground." My mind goes to the same shady places it normally goes, but I don't think much of it. I decide to watch it and lo and behold a gorgeous girl is there giving a modified strip tease to her partner in a skimpy girl scout outfit. And there she dances for a good 5-6 minutes and just manages to become topless. At this point the film turns ugly as she spins around--drops her skirt--and you come face to face with her monstrous, erect penis.

There are some things that cannot be unseen and getting caught by a hermaphroditic porn in lieu of whatever you were/were not expecting just plain sucks. And lots of things ran through my main as I recall these are some of the same people who introduced me to 4chan and continue to troll it on occasion. If nothing else I pray that at the very least it is a hermaphrodite and not a tranny.

I returned the disc to a slew of grins (I was not, apparently the first victim of this calibur). I have no ideas how I can get him back other than a beating so if you have some ideas let me know, this is one twisted s.o.b. Regardless, I've sworn off anything he gives me until hell freezes over and considering going cold turkey for a while.

Viva la Revolution!

Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes! Summer is upon us and with that comes vacation from a deplorable occupation that siphons all my energies away to leave a rotting, fluffy husk for the majority of the year.

However, I should have lots to do, I get 2.5 months off with little to do besides clean and DO STUFF (among hanging with friends, travelling and the other traditional summer fun). Ideally working out and creating something will be part of it. I have some friends teaching me new games and I am actually going to try abridged RPG/fanfic stories. Plus lots of movies, music, anime, book ideas as well!

Aside from that I am doing a complete overhaul of my paper stashes (ideas, doodles, sketches, lists, whatnot) and I'm doing what I really should do with them: 1) use them, 2) sort/file them for later, or 3) trash them.

I'm hoping I get at least one finished drawing a week on deviantart, and I'm planning on doing a lot of creative writing (to stave off writer's block and get back in the habit of refining my writing).

Yeah...right.

Ok, I don't know who the fuck I was kidding but between work and what little social life I have I haven't had time for much more than narrowing down a few minor character summaries or details. Occassionally while searching 4chan or something like deviantart I'll see something for inspiration or an example of which I save, but very little creativity is actually progressing. Sorry.

Praise Be A Wal-Mart Sale

Well with all the back-to-school price reductions and sales that have been going on, one in particular stood out for me. Spiral notebooks: 1 subject and 70 pages are on sale for 5-cents each. I've bought a few boxes of them just because I tend to go through them. Now I'll slowly go through all these torrid files and data on my computer and respective hard drives and try to figure out what is truly worth keeping and what' ready for the recycle bin. I'll probably grab another box or two on pay day if I find them still shelved. Basically the only use I've encouraged so far from myself is using one as a discipline guide in my classroom keeping track of who and how often I'm calling a student down. The other is as a deviantArt planning guide, giving each individual subject it's own page for the sake of descriptions, blocking, outlines, mock-ups, and general idea dumps.

Monthly Check-Up & Browncoat Players

Well I need to get something posted for August before it's over and done with. I am moved and very slowly unpacking. Expect to see more thought out ideas. At the moment I'm working on my own Bleach original characters and trying to design and lore them enough to be satisfied and start sketching them.

Finished LFG comics and most of GU Comics. Awesome, sadly this has only depressed me more for what little storylines I can place with my WOW characters. Speaking of, 2 70s to report now as well as started rolling Horde on Smolderthorn for the hell of it. I have a buddy with raid connections and such and after reading LFG I wanted to play a Tauren. :P

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

Browncoat Players is something random my mother of all people suggested after I made a very politically-racist and snide comment during the olympics. Something along the American-Chinese cooperation or such, funny at the time but details are fuzzy. Anyway, while we were watching the Olympics this year (starting and first week of) we were re-watching Firefly/Serenity during the nights before my full-time job started. So what kind of insturments and outfits would a AmerChinese Folk band be and how would it sound? Basically consisting of folksy musical instruments and miscellaneous amalgamation of accompanyments.

America ==
Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, Kazoo (only insturment universally agreed to originate in USA with no direct predecessors)

Chinese ==
Guzheng, Pipa, Yangqin, Koto

Heavy on the strings, but the accompanying pieces will vary the sounds more. Could be a very interesting ensemble given the right direction. Wish someone would take me up on it, lol.

Idea: AMV Music & Concepts

I know very loosely one or two AMV (Animated Music Video) artists. Generally they use anime or cartoons to compile or illustrate a point or theme.

Video #1
Anime: Bleach
Music: Three Days Grace - Animal I've Become
Concept: Alright, I know this song is over-used as it is but the lyrics fit the hollow transformation of Ichigo. I even successfully bounced this idea off a few of these AMV'ers but they didn't have the interest or time to devote to a project not of their origins (even for shared credit, go figure). Basically ONLY focus in on his transformations. There are three set repeats of the chorus: 1 for during the fight with Byukuya in Soul Society; 2 versus Koga the Bount; and 3 a rehashment of the Ichigo vs. H-Ichigo battles both within his soul and his hollowfication in the real world.

Video #2
Anime: Bleach
Music: Skillet - Falling Inside The Black
Concept: I'm not one to take sides in most of these shipper battles. I like them to be left open for the stories to develop and dictate the results as the artist(s) see fit. Not that I don't root for my favorites, but as some storylines go, their outcomes can influence choices and decisions. This one the lyrics really spoke to me from a standpoint of Orihime witnessing Ichigo's Vaizard mask and the fear, confusion, and angst her eyes very successfully express in the anime. The storyline is still ongoing, so there will be more to pull from as the Heuco Mundo arc concludes.

Idea: Horoscope Amalgamations

For those of you who can't seem to guess, let me break it down for you. I post SOME of my ideas on here. Of course anything I'm excited about and really think that it's uber-creative or orignal will not be posted here until I am satisfied with it. That won't stop me from still occassionally posting ideas. [When I get around to acting on them is another story entirely.]

Anyway this one's not a big one. I have a relative, distant mind you, who is deeply involved in numerology, astrology, etc. Anyway, she was blathering on this time about the planets and signs and trying to back it up with circumstancial historical context from different corners of the world when this little idea snuck up on me.

Take multiple zodiacs, believe me there are not that just the 2 everyone knows of (Roman, Chinese), and compbine the creatures of particular design. For example, I'm was born in early December. Meaning that on the Roman horoscope I am a Sagittarius, but on the Chinese calendar I'm a boar (before you jump in with jokes, that's a wild hog). So one possible permutation could be a centaur except with the body of a boar.

Idea: Hulking Peep

So I have a few friends on myspace. Some of them occassionally send me or post interesting videos, pictures and the what not. You know, the normal everyday spam of social networks. Not that it's annoying, when used in moderation I enjoy it, but some of them are forever burned into the insides of your retina and haunt you even today when you're alone in your room, late at night...

ANYWAY... One such picture was sent to me around Easter time. It was a link to a youtube video of a microwaved peep. Call me what you will, but I've never cared for the little guys. They're cutish I guess, but the colored sugar marshmallows never held a place in my Easters, and almost as rare in my stomach (maybe 3 in my lifetime). Getting back to the video, the peeps grew and expanded keeping a very bloated and rough definition of it's original form. So the idea is this: Green humanoid shaped one, swelling to the Hulk.

Ok, so the build up was more than the idea, but I'm reaching here folks. Expect a hiatus coming as I am moving around the first.

**UPDATE** (7/15/2008)
Per a friend's recommendation, the last frame could be the Hulk deflating from the air pressure within the marshmallow. Not sure, but something to toy with.

Idea: Death Note + McDonalds

Well I finally broke down and watched the Death Note series this past week or so. Very dark. I liked the live adaptation better I think, just because of the repetativeness of Kira's tactics in the second half of the anime. Anyway, I get done with that a decide to relax and watch some TV. When what should I see but a new McDonalds ad with a very different and yet similar flying clown, Ronald, flying through the air tossing apples at kids. So what would Ronald as Ryuk look like? Hmmm... this one sounds interesting.

Want Ad: General Artist/Collaborator

I've mentioned this a few times before. I'm big on development and mock-ups, edits, etc. and weak on my own follow through. In fact, I'm willing to bet I add many more "Work In Progress" pieces than I take off.

If anybody thinks their artworking skills rival my creativity I'd love to collaborate and work with you on almost any kind of project. If you're wanting a brainstorming partner I am willing to be an idea wall (to bounce ideas off) as well as a devining rod for workups.

I'm willing to work more or less for next to nothing. The one stipulation is some credit given (especially if commercial artwork, for my own portfolio, etc). The very limited general fee for such work I've done in the past was very cheap ($25 for an organizations convention logo, theme, and set-up) or exchangable for commissions of my own ideas, etc.