MacGuffin

avorpalllama @ 2008-08-17T23:07:00

2008-08-18T05:57:47Z

Tried to watch Dr. Horrible (finally) but i got a third of the way through before my computer started to overheat. From sheer musical goodness no doubt.

damn it all.
problems.

[EDIT: Heat is no match for my computer's strength of will and the apparent radness of Dr. Horrible! Take that, Problems! Now you're solved... FOREVER?!!!?]

avorpalllama @ 2008-08-17T01:32:00

2008-08-17T08:39:30Z

Today was a goooood saturday!
It came at the end of a busy week. I put a lot into the latest sequence i was given and by the time it was cleared to go to editorial on friday (after several frustrating revisions during the week) i was a little zombified. But after work i got to play with Nicole's new kittens and catch up on Project Runway which was a perfect (and kinda girly, now that i read it back over) way to wind down.
Today i got my hair cut (lady accidentally ripped my new earring out with her comb, but no harm done... much. the haircut looks good anyway), and spent the rest of the morning/afternoon watching t.v. and knitting (and writing checks; the cable company, the city of glendale [ticket for invalid registration stickers on my car] and the DMV [which serves to inform the reason behind the ticket]... i didn't want my money anyway). In the evening, Nicole, Court, Jason and i went to see the The Great Grand Show at Nucleus which turned out to rock. i bought some cool prints (neither from the show, they weren't selling too many prints) and pre-ordered the exhibit catalog. Japanese food was eaten. Good times were had.

All in all, in spite of the odd details dotting the day, it was relaxing and just the kind of day i needed, i think.
Tomorrow i get to find something fun to do :)

Olympics hates Mac!

2008-08-12T06:06:49Z

I'm trying to find decent video of the opening ceremonies from last Friday, but every official site seems to cater to Windows users. Youtube officially sucks in this department and somehow has no decent footage. I tuned in late, so i only saw the Parade of Nations, which decidedly peaked early and failed to be all that interesting until the end SEVERAL HOURS LATER. I keep hearing about all this cool stuff... the Movable Typface performance (dudes in boxes), fireworks footprints, crazy feats of coordination.

If anyone knows any place i can see this stuff, let me know! it sounds kick-ass.

I've actually be watching the olympics this year, along with jojo and occasionally nicole and others. it's been pretty cool. the competitions have been fierce, the atheletes skillful, and China's been a bang-up host for it all!
Good times, fellow earthlings. Good times.

avorpalllama @ 2008-08-11T19:22:00

2008-08-12T02:13:35Z

I like it whenever any sort of activity is ended in "-ening" to make it sound more important.
Really, i think it's funny.

I call what i'm doing now... THE POSTENING.

Videos of interest (cross posted from the blog)

2008-07-30T21:34:31Z

(Comic-Con reporting has begun over on the blog. Don't know if i'm going to cross-post because it's way easier to upload photos over there)

First and foremost, our Princess and the Frog teaser is now up and online!
Check it out. It's 2-D, guys!

Secondly, a totally badass ad campaign from BBC Sports for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing featuring the cast of Chen Shi-zheng, Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn's Monkey: Journey to the West! The animation in this is way better than anything i saw in the show. I've gotta find a way to download this:

And lastly, just because this is so freakin' wierd.
At lunch today my friend Sarah told me about this video clip of a pelican eating a pigeon.

a PELICAN.
eating a PIGEON.

apparently this happens way more often than people think? Anyway, here's the video.

avorpalllama @ 2008-07-29T21:37:00

2008-07-30T04:37:56Z

Um, so my computer might be dying?
Which means hell if i'm going to dump my precious Comic Con photos onto it's sickly hard drive!

My cruel and heartless words are a facade to mask my concern :(
I came home, and the computer wouldn't wake up even though i knew it was on. I turned it off and it made sad whirring noises trying to come back to life, so i let it chill out a bit. Turned it back on and it was fine, but it's still not talking to my external hard drive (they're fighting, i guess). Fortunately i backed up most of my stuff pretty recently so it shouldn't be a problem.

As i was typing all that it occured to me that there may have been a power surge (or... something) during the earthquake this afternoon that... fucked things up some how? I don't even know if that makes sense.

The point is, we had an earthquake today! 5.4 in Pomona, south and east of LA. Everyone and they're mother has already blogged/LJed about it, so i'm a little late to the game, but it couldn't go without mention.

woo!

2008-07-29T07:24:44Z

WOOOO Comic-Con!

I'll probably give a belated report in several installments either here or on my blog (or... both???)

But for now...

WOOOO Comic-Con!

Some things.

2008-07-15T18:08:29Z

Oh my god, this is awesome. Nicole showed it to me and i... i..

The silliness, folks! the delightful silliness! I guess there's a whole movie worth of these, but this was the one nicole started with so it's the first one i watched:

I saw the midnight showing of Hellboy II last thursday. i haven't written up my two-cents yet because i actually liked it and i'm figuring out how to word my argument in it's defense.

In other news, my apartment flooded! a pipe in the parking garage below us kerploded and water came sneaking into our appartment from under our downstairs toilet (not nearly as disgusting as it sounds, but the water was warm and smelled like a lake). Half of our livingroom was soaked and there was about 1/5 of an inch of standing water in our kitchen before the leak actually stopped.
All in all no harm done, and there are wet-vac dudes in our place right now making all our problems go away :)

ALSO i finally figured out how to move my blog from my yahoo account to gmail so i can finally stop this elaborate dance of logging in and out all the damn time. This is an exciting time for me. I really delight in consolidation!

Where the hell is Matt?

2008-07-09T02:32:20Z

Have you guys seen this video? It's pretty incredible. I'd love to go to just half of the places this guy's danced in :)

The song in the video is called "Praan". It's available from iTunes and was adapted from one of these poems (i think? information on the song was difficult to come by) by Garry Schyman, who also did the score for Bioshock. Go figure.

ka-POST!

2008-07-08T00:28:52Z

Basically cross-posted from my blog because i wanted to stick some art up here and was FAR too lazy to come up with new words to say.

The industrious and witty beatonna posted an invitation to all her readers to post a conversation between them and their younger selves. I genuinely can't believe i haven't done this before. It's a good time.

(Trader Joe's sells candied hibiscus flowers that taste like fruit snacks. Little me would probably have really liked them if she would just try them!)

This was the first one i came up with, but the second one i drew. (the book is a total lie. i don't actually read.)

A make-up list

2008-07-01T06:15:21Z

So reading the post i just posted, and the posts before it, it occurs to me that i've been neglecting this journal on an almost criminal level.
Quick sum-up of my accomplishments!
-Got the LA times to deliver my newspaper on a daily basis
-Set up google reader to keep tabs on the slew of blogs i read (fabulous techonology!)
-I won the ScaryGoRound Feats of Strength contest! Zounds!
-I very badly sunburnt the backs of my legs
-One week later i peeled the dead skin off the backs of my legs (sounds icky, but actually pretty cool)
-Went to Disneyland with Simone and her sisters 'cause she's getting maaaarrrried!
-I... made a list of things i still need to do?
-I updated my blog!
-Got my hair cut (just a trim)
-I ate a leftover sandwich for breakfast this morning that had been sitting in our fridge all weekend. Now i feel a little ill :(

And that should just about bring us up to speed. Other than that, things are proceeding as usual.

avorpalllama @ 2008-06-30T22:58:00

2008-07-01T05:57:51Z

I...
have been BLOGGING!

There's a post in there about what i think of Wall-e (i really liked it and can respect it for a lot of the things that it did, but agree with some of the criticism that i've heard as well) and Kung Fu Panda (kung fu bad-assery, plain and simple), plus a post about my trip to Charleston to see "Monkey..." (also kung fooey). Plus some art.
I've been a lazy LJer and an active blogger. I worry i may be turning.
Don't worry, i'll keep those of you who actually read this anymore posted... on... my posting.

So, Comicon, am i right???

Lissa: Journey to the East .... Southeast....

2008-05-21T06:00:03Z

Guys! Guys!
Check it out!

I've just received my tickets to see this in the only city in the US currently scheduled for this tour of the production! I'm flying solo out to South Carolina this weekend. I'm wicked stoked.

If anyone's ever been to Charleston and can recommend some things i ought to see while i'm there (or can recommend some things i ought to avoid) i'd love to hear them.

Not really a big deal.... but..........

2008-05-09T07:46:36Z

L.A. Times, i just want my newspaper, you guys D:
You did it on Wednesday somehow, but you botched it up on Thursday and made me give a customer service lady what-for at lunch, and not quite as calmly as the what-for i gave the customer service guy on Tuesday.

Friday's your lucky day, LA Times. I believe in you and your abilities to deliver me my paper!

Oh... really?

2008-05-07T05:43:59Z

Found this photo while putting together the panoramic of my new room (which photobucket seems bound and determined to shrink down to a nigh un-viewable size).
I saw it outside of the hotel my parents and i were staying at for my cousin's Bar Mitzvah in San Diego.
Thought i'd share!

avorpalllama @ 2008-05-06T22:13:00

2008-05-07T05:16:44Z

HOO doggy.
I'm all.
Moved.
In.

My body's still a little sore, but i now officially live in a totally badass town home in Glendale with Jojo and Kelly!
Marvel at our crib's bitchin' stats:
-2 floors
-3 bedroom
-2.5 bath
-in-unit washer/dryer
-dishwasher
-central air
-one small block from food (Vons, IHOP, Rite Aide), art supplies (Swains) and bank (Bank of America).

My room is kinda small, but then again so's my rent :D
I've totally made it my own, though.
Wanna see?
[EDIT] Curse you photobucket, you shrank my images! Well, you get the general idea, i suppose. *grumblesmumbles*

Big con:
- the L.A. Times can't seem to locate my doorstep and put my newspaper there. This is a problem. The daily paper is a vital part of my morning routine. I gave a very nice customer service man what-for at lunch today (politely, of course) so here's hoping they get it sorted out by tomorrow.

I also arted recently. I posted it to my web log, but it shrunk the image size slightly (at least, it seems to have done so in my browser).
I'm posting it here too... because i can! My submission for Scarygoround's Feats of Strenght! contest...

avorpalllama @ 2008-05-02T23:20:00

2008-05-03T06:18:16Z

My brain's been checked out of the world the past few weeks.
On top of various time sensitive art projects (all finished more or less on time, will post later), my job and just, you know... life and shit, i'm moving to Glendale with Kelly and Jojo!
Tomorrow, actually.
Everything's all packed, essencially. I moved my bed last weekend, learned that my queen sized box spring will not fit up our new stairs without being sawed in half (the mattress itself is squishy and wasn't a problem).
Tune in next week to find out how our heroes handle that one.

Next time i post i should be all moved in with all the pieces of my life starting to get in order. I'm just barreling through one thing at a time. i just hope that'll cut it.

yaaaaaaay moving!

OH MY GOD in the meantime, please won't you check out Swatrick Payze and his effin' rad scottish-accented flash animations? they're totally bitchin'.

TO DO

2008-04-10T04:15:00Z

THINGS I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED TODAY:
-Filled out rental applications for a rad-ass place in Glendale (with the help of kelly and jojo)
-Got the pages i needed reprinted for my eternal freelance job
-sent off my bio and photo to commissioner of said neverending job (for the book i'm illustrating for him)
-made potential plans to FINALLY deliver lostsailors commission from FREAKIN' SUMMER.
-did laundry (got it in the dryer, anyway)
-made myself dinner. from raw ingredients in my fridge. this is actually a big deal.
-sorted through the pile of improtant papers on my desk, filtering out the things that really need to be addressed.
-activated my credit card
-cut my finger nails
-got in an argument about the chinese new year
-wrote down the important grown-up things i still have to do

These things sound small, but combined they take up most of my day.

THINGS I HAVE FAILED TO ACCOMPLISH TODAY:
-The job i'm actually paid to do.

Once i have this freelance job done (and take care of the grown up things on my list) i'll have time to myself. I really want to work on my art. I worry that i'm slipping. I see that as a good attitude, as it will motivate me to work harder and get better. Still, getting better necessitates actually, you know, drawing things, so...

i've gotten past the point in my typing where i have a good grasp of words, or how to assemble them into tolerable sentances. i'll leave you with that :)

the flushing...

2008-03-25T07:02:41Z

My toilet has this kind of eternal post-flush going on.
Like the bowl is just refilling very slowly or... for a very long time, or there's a leak somewhere in the internal plumbing so it just keeps re-filling, i dunno.
It's almost soothing, like rainfall or a babbling brook, so half the time i don't even notice it, but when i do i worry that somewhere, someone is paying the price for my possibly broken toilet.

Well, i'll be out of here in a little less than two months anyway!
*washes hands of matter, hope sink doesn't break as well*

avorpalllama @ 2008-03-20T18:06:00

2008-03-21T01:05:23Z

This past week i learned that i get to keep my job for another six months, and a friend of mine that i hadn't really seen much in the past year died.
One thing was very good, the other rather bad, and both kind of even out to me just feeling kinda... normal.
But i've talked alot about both things over the past couple of days and went to a memorial service this afternoon (sadly, i can't make it to the funeral this weekend), so i'm pretty alright on both subjects.

If anyone (and i'm fairly certain this applies to several of the few people that still read my livejournal) know of a good reference book for 17th-18th century style clothing let me know ... and (to a certain extent) damn the expense!

dun dun.... dun dun...

2008-03-12T03:48:39Z

I ordered a fat shark off of squishable.com and i.... i can't stop hugging him so i thought i'd share.

Also, i don't know how i feel about this new weather. It's warm, so i don't like it. But i get to wear tanktops and sleep on top of my comforter, which i DO like. It's tearing me apart.

avorpalllama @ 2008-03-07T21:24:00

2008-03-08T05:26:31Z

We had our final review today, the results of which we will recieve sometime next week (definitely probably). This is the review that decides whether or not i still have a job at our fine company, and it sounded like it went fairly well, but that is no gurantee. In any case, it's a culmination of a lot of work and it'll be nice to have a break.
In addition to this, i am also at the end of my freelance illustration job, which means that i should celebrate with some art-for-fun. But i'm too tired. There will be plenty of time to draw when i'm unemployed! :D

It smells like the neighbors are cooking bacon D:
At 9:30 PM??? D:
Bacon is delicious, but that does not mean i want my room to smell like it. It's like... perfume smells nice, but i would not sip it from a goblet, no matter how fancy said goblet was. See, it's the same principle.
*lights some incense*

Anyway, i'm wiped. Later, livejournal.

IMPORTANT DISCOVERY

2008-03-04T08:18:13Z

Watercoloring is fuckin' hard, you guys.
That's about it.

Also, this is addressed to .... pretty much anyone who uses the internet. I'm tired of manually checking the dozens of blogs i have bookmarked to see who's updated. i'm ready to join the wonderful world of RSS feed. What feed readers do you guys use?

SPROING!

2008-03-01T16:43:52Z

I seem to have failed to make a Leap Day post. I'd be more upset about this, except instead of posting i drank a lot and generally enjoyed the company's party in honor of the day, so i'd say it about balances out :)

Happy day after, everybody! i hope you're all not too tired from leaping. if you are, you've got another four years to rest up.

Bland, negative, half sleepy post.

2008-02-26T08:21:28Z

Today kinda blew. One of the other trainees i work with is officially a total douche-bag, and there wasn't really anything for me to do at work all day until the very end when there wasn't enough time for me to get anything started. I got my haircut when i got home (not significantly), which was relaxing and kind of made me feel better about my day at work, but since it existed within an otherwise not-so-great day it'll probably turn out looking dumb tomorrow due to shear proximity to the negative vibes.
The day didn't end on the best note either.
I guess nothing all that terrible happened. Mostly i'm just cranky. I had a pretty good weekend and everyone knows that Mondays just kinda blow, especially when they're following a good weekend.