Everyone comes to the Freak Show, to laugh at the Freaks and the Geeks

archmage — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 12:37:00 GMT

Jim Jeffries On Why Other Countries Think US Gun Laws Are Crazy

Pretty well sums it all up, as far as I'm concerned.

I Gotcher Free Inhabitant Status Right Here, Swingin'

archmage — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 16:57:17 GMT

Holy cats...I've only just become aware of this "free inhabitant / article 4" bullshit. Watching some of the videos of these wingnuts is comedy gold, and very, very saddening. There's a huge difference between a legitimately illegal arrest/police action and you just not wanting them to do something. Just because you disagree does not make the cop's actions wrong, no matter what you scream at them. All this bullshit does is muddy the waters more then they already have been.

The lack of basic respect and the absolute certainty that they can just say or do something that will magically make law enforcement leave them alone is downright frightening. What possible basis could they think they have that snarking off to the officers that pulled them over or that simply "declining" to answer simple questions is going to work? "I'm a free inhabitant, I'm of the Earth, I have private sovereign citizenship"...really? Really?

I would expect nothing less to come out of a culture and time that told children that they got an award for showing up, that their every thought was important and should be shouted, that 'the customer is always right' and that you should demand to see a manager/superior, and that simply screaming that you are being assaulted or that you do not consent will stop cops from handcuffing you. The arrogance, the willful audacity, the unmitigated egotism...it makes me sad. My only shining point in this is that this is only a very small number of people.

Short version: the Articles of Confederation no longer apply, ever since we set the Constitution in place. Besides that, article 4 simply stated that any free inhabitant of a state had the same rights as any federal citizen, it did NOT give them license to not obey the law.

For more hilarity, there's a great compilation vid of these idiots, but it's twice as much fun watching a 'reaction' vid of it!

archmage — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 16:20:52 GMT

First Biofluorescent Reptile Ever Discovered - Short article and links to further info. Biofluorescence is far from unknown, but we've never seen in it a reptile until now. Study might be difficult, as this is a highly endangered species, but the discovery alone is pretty badass.

Re: Kim Davis:

archmage — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 15:49:59 GMT

I've been trying to basically stay off the topic, as there is enough bullshit being said without my spouting off any further about it. However, I feel the urge to say this, which started with a comment elsewhere:

"I'm willing to go against my personal ethic to not resort to violence for the chance to punch her in the mouth. So fucking sick of this useless waste of oxygen. And, really, what a sulk-fest, passive-aggressive load of crap, all this BS about choosing between her job and her faith, and this other line about making a point of putting that it was by court order on there...what-the-fuck-ever, Kim. Dammit, why hasn't someone just set her on fire. Johnson said that patriotism was the last refuge of the scoundrel...but I think we might want to add 'religion' into that quote."

Kim, you are a disgrace to your job, your religion, your country, and your species. You are on a list of people that make me sad to be human, and your bullshit bigotry is a sad example of low-intelligence belligerence in the face of change. Your continued reluctance to simply be a decent human being is worthy only of scorn and invective, and history will bear this out. This country, one of freedom and democracy, has been through movements that have seen the end (legally, at least) of discriminations and the establishment of equal rights for all genders and all races. Hell, you wouldn't even be able to HAVE the job you so self-righteously shit on if we hadn't been through this before. For you to simply repeat the losing fight of history shows a marked lack of intelligence, social awareness, and character.

Grow up, Kim. Stop hiding behind a flag and a cross to justify your hatred. You have already proven that your god's laws are not to be explicitly followed (divorce? hmm?), so why stoop to this, which is a fuzzy area anyway? Sign the damn papers, it doesn't make YOU gay, any more than someone signing gun licenses is condoning violence and murder or someone singing a bar's liquor license is cheering on drunkenness. But then, doing that would not make you famous, would it?

You know what would, though? Doing your job and being happy about it. Show the world the Kim Davis of love, acceptance, and passion. Go on record as saying "in Kentucky, we like everyone, and we're not afraid to show that we are FOR love and AGAINST hate!" Of course, I guess that'd make you go against your principles, too, huh? Guess you'll go on being the sad, boring, hateful, spiteful, small person you have shown the world.

The world will continue to move on...with or without you.

archmage — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 03:24:26 GMT

Finally got to see "Mad Max: Fury Road" (Don't judge, I don't get out much these days). As a huge fan of the Max films, I've really looked forward to it. With that, a couple things need be said.

- I was a little surprised at the slow build of a lot of the plot. I didn't see this as a bad thing; in fact, it stayed pretty true to the pacing of the other flicks. Was just not expecting to see that in today's cinema culture.

- I did NOT buy in to Tom Hardy as Max. The grey hair was missing. The scar on the eye was missing. He was too bulky for Max's build. He just didn't seem or feel like Max. Not that Hardy did a bad job, it just wasn't MAX.

- I would have liked a little more background on the antagonists. It was great to see Hugh Keays-Byrne again, but I was left wanting on the back story of Joe, and the Bullet farmer, and the People-Eater. Cool, but no depth at all. Even The Lord Humungous felt less shallow than these guys.

- Lastly, but definitely not least...I didn't see a thing to complain about. I mean all the flap the so-called Men's Rights crowd lost their damn minds over. What was the big fucking deal? I didn't see any emasculation of the males, and I didn't feel Furiosa's actions in any light of sexism, but rather as the right thing to do. J and I both tried to figure out what the problem was, and came up snake-eyes. Just more modern-day examples of people looking for something to be offended by.

All in all, good stuff, loved it. Too bad I'm hearing soch weak reviews of the game tie-in, but that's not wholly unexpected. i'll play it eventually, anyway. Only down note of it all was that I ordered it through Amazon, and instead of the Blu-Ray/DVD combo, the one we got had 2 identical DVDs inside. Amazon is shipping us a new one, so hopefully it was a random error and not a general defect with the first run or something.

Art(punk) Is What You Can Get Away With

archmage — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:22:46 GMT

I started this note with the phrase: "I'm so fucking tired of (blank)-punk designations for fiction subgenres". However, I quickly paused and realized that this is a typical thing to happen, in this day and age of style and image over substance.

Face it, in the era of soundbite social media, everything has to be shared to the world as fast as you can and in as small a package as it can be packed so as to capture even an iota of public notice before it is swept away by the tides of cat pictures, prank videos, snarky blog replies, and political tirades. It's highly unlikely that your fiction story, game framework, or short video will get much of a wide experience when the average person has to try and keep up with so many threads and passages, and won't bother blocking out too much time for anything that they can't quickly repost to show that they are hip by seeing it first.

So, instead, come up with a new word that is easily quotable, something that will get used plenty even if it is, by itself, not that big a deal. A category of fiction, especially that already exists? Good start. See that someone is taking it in a new direction? (Genre)-punk! It's new! It's cool! It's hip! It's "subversive" (because, you know, you SAID punk, right?)! And all you other self-proclaimed artists want to be cool, too, right? So add something to this category, quick, so you can be a forerunner of this one, especially if you already have something that fits, so you can be a "I did it before it was cool, I was a Founding Artist of this movement" type! Woo, I say, woo!

It's not as much that it's not cool without a category, it's that people are less likely to take the time to read your novel if they can't find a reason why. BUUUUT (dot dot dot) if you can promote it with a post saying how it's the newest and greatest example of (blank)-punk wonderness, you not only grab all the bandwagoneers, you catch the eye of any blog that is catering to it, and then the sky's the limit....for now.

Form above function. Style above substance. Essence of art, right? Not to imply that art is shallow...just the subversion of it.

Artpunk.

This Is Not Your Religious Freedom

archmage — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 18:56:46 GMT

I'm sick and fucking tired of seeing this shit.

Defiant Kentucky clerk says he’s wiling to die for his right to tell LGBT people they’re going to Hell

SHORT VERSION: this jackass says he'll continue to defy court orders to issue marriage licenses to LGBT couples because his religion dictates that he tell them, instead, that they are going to Hell. He claims he's ready to go to jail or even die for this "belief".

What a crock of shit.

1. This is not your religion, this is your job. you are hired to perform a service. if you aren't going to do it, or you have some reservation about doing it, then get the fuck out. Don't stay there and fuck it up, don't try to prove a point, go a way. The moment he started this crap, he should have been fired for not doing his job, period. this goes for every other instance of this, anywhere. Simple, easy to understand: i hire you to do this, if you don't want to do it, i find someone who will.

2. You feel this "lifestyle" is a sin and against your religious principles? Don't live that way, then. You have that choice and the right to make that choice. PERIOD. Someone else doing something is NOT your choice, nor has anything to do with you practicing YOUR religion. YOUR rights to YOUR religion end at the tip of YOUR nose. you don't get to say "Well, I choose not to eat meat, so no one else gets a steak."

3. "Lovingly telling someone that they are going to Hell" is bullshit. First, i kinda doubt you are doing this out of love, but that's just opinion. Secondly, it's not YOUR JOB to express judgement, it's your job to process forms. Your opinion isn't relevant. If you cannot (or WILL NOT) make that distinction, get out.

4. So, you took an oath to support the law, and that's what you say you are doing, but when the supreme authority says that the law is now overturned and says different, suddenly you aren't going to do so? Where's your oath now?

5. No, your damned religious text is not the supreme law of the land, no more than anyone else's. Bible, Torah, Koran, Satanic Bible, Witch's Bible, Scribblings of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, they are all no better than another, and in a country that supports religious freedom, a country that is not (supposed to be) run by any one religion, The Law outweighs your own internal faith-based (and thus NOT fact-based) beliefs. So put down the book, bud.

6. While we are on the subject of arrogance, don't bring up our veterans and the tired old argument of 'they fought for this" to try and build a foundation for your bigotry. They did not fight for the right of one group to try and rule the roost, they fought for the freedom of ALL Americans, the freedom to live free from persecution and as equals. You know what the price of freedom really is? It's the fact that you have to remember that everyone else is free, too...not just you and your chosen congregation.

7. Fuck you, and fuck any "this is a War On ____" talk. It's not a war on Christianity; as far as i can see, the only aggressors (and thus, the only ones waging a war) are the bigots. If the SCOTUS ruling inadvertently made some Christians suddenly guilty of "religious persecution", then maybe you should stop persecuting people instead of trying to defend your right to persecute. That would seem to be a much more Christian response.

8. At no point has anyone taken away your religious freedom. You are still free to worship and believe as you choose. Others are simply being given the rights they should have had already, as American citizens. However, and it bears repeating, your religious freedom does not extend beyond yourself. Feel how you wanna feel, believe as you wish to believe, but society as a whole (yes, all genders, races, nationalities, orientations, creeds, and political stances) must still be subject to the Social Contract.

Didn't we have these arguments already, about race? About country of origin? About gender? And haven't they already been shut down, legally (if not, unfortunately, socially)? Why are we still doing this? What the fuck is wrong with these people? I'm done with this, I'm done. If this is how you think and feel, then I'm going to have to take a page from your book, lower myself to your level, and treat you like you treat others; shun you, cut you off, and refuse you service.

End of discussion. Grow the fuck up.

Flag Thoughts

archmage — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 23:30:00 GMT

With all the debate and news going around about the Confederate flag, I've wanted to say something about my own sigtuation. Hell, i think there are some that kinda expected me to do so, but I was truly torn about what I felt and wanted to do. On that discussion, I read a post on FB from a black farmer, the short version of was this: coming up to a house where the flag was displayed, they knew that the person inside had just as much chance of being a wonderful, hospitable, best ol' Southern buddy, as they they had of being a racist bigot with desires of violence. Regardless of what the post writer might want to do, taking a chance on the resident being great meant also taking a chance that their wife would be a widow that night.

Now, I try to be that "Southern Gentleman" type. I want those I interact with to feel the hospitality and gentility that the idealized South should be known for offering. Sure, I'd love to have that flag mean these things, but I have to come to terms with the fact that it doesn't, at least, not exclusively. if there was a way to strip that association, to 'take it back', I would in a heartbeat. Alas, I accept that someone seeing it might not be able to afford to give me the chance to show who I am. Well, folks, i can't have that.

So, here's my response to them:

Growing up in the South, I got used to the flag. it was just another thing to see, y'know? I took it as a symbol of my heritage, and left it at that. My Mom and Grandmother would have slapped the dirt off my head for making racist remarks, so I never took it to mean such a culture of hatred; I was raised to be a 'Southern Gentleman'. Sure, as i grew, I discovered it, saw the types of people with bad attitudes that revered it, but I always strove to rise above that, to show that it could represent that sense of community, of "Southern Hospitality".

With all that has happened over the last few months, I've been a little torn. Of course, I don't want to cause unease, but how could I try to 'take it back' if it wasn't around? I hemmed and hawed, thunk and debated, but in the end, it came down to one thing: priorities. What was truly important, that I show who I was to those around me, or that I try to let a symbol...one under a lot of scrutiny and argument, at that...make that call for me?

I'll always be proud of where I came from, and I'll always be proud to be an example of the goodness that can come from The South, but I doubt I'll ever display that flag again. I'll not risk losing out on what could be a friend, business partner, or opportunity because they couldn't take that risk of knowing if I was a racist asshole or not. I'll let my actions speak, thanks a lot.

Am I going to throw my flag away, burn it, destroy it? No, but I'm not letting it into the light of day, either. I'll always be a Southern Boy, but I'll let people discover that by coming up to meet me, not by seeing me a mile away and having to guess.

Trailers, Fandom, and um....Anyway...

archmage — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 13:33:39 GMT

So, "leaked" trailers from Comic-Con for 'Suicide Squad' and 'Deadpool':

Hmm. Ignoring the low-quality uploads, I still have to say that neither one grabbed me. Not saying I hated them or something, I'm still interested, but I wasn't impressed. I'm really trying to be open-minded and not jaded to these things, I swear.

Deadpool: I'm still not really happy with the way DP is being done, but I think, in the end, there's no way I'd ever truly see it and think "perfect", unfortunately. I've been too big a fan for too long, and my internal style/sound/feel for the character isn't going to be reflected anywhere else. Trying to ignore that, I still just didn't get a vibe that felt right, but I also know that this is just the first view. Who knows, it could be awesome. I think the things that are hurting me on this are the fact that this is a character that doesn't fit well into a realistic space and has always been at least partly comic relief...and the fact that I dislike Ryan Reynolds.

Suicide Squad: Well, hell, can barely tell what's going on in this trailer, that's a start. Again, low quality. Also, though, DC is sticking to this "more gritty, more realistic" feel, and this isn't just super-heroes (who still have to be "human" underneath), these are the psycho super-villains. Making them normal crazies felt strange, and I got very little vibe of each on sight. Harley only sorta struck me as Harley (if I hadn't known it was her, it would have been even harder to place). Deadshot, I don't think I'd have guessed, or Rick Flagg. Croc just looks like some fucked-up big guy. Joker...he's been done so many times in so many ways that you can't help but compare him to previous runs. Without that comparison, though, I dunno, I'm just wasn't invested in it.

Again, this is all first-look reaction. Not making any sweeping judgements, yet.

But they didn't grab me.

Learning Curve

archmage — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 20:49:49 GMT

As a bit of an intro to the company, New Boss gave me some notes on a full-page ad that either they just did or they are about to do. Said to take the weekend and see what I can come up with. Now, I could go over-the-top creative, but I know that one of the main things he needs right now is someone that can recreate things to spec, so I chose to go a little more conservatively in my layout, following his (hard-to-read) specs. This feels more like a time for precision, not art.

Took a little longer than I wanted, but I haven't done this kind of thing in a long time, I'm still using a VERY old copy of Photoshop, and I'm still working on this crappy old computer. I feel pretty good about it, and it gives me a benchmark on where my speed and skill levels are. That all being said, I see that I'm still my own worst critic, and am not truly satisfied with it, but I'm-a go with it anyway.

Biggest hope right now is that this all works out, and I'll have the money to get a new machine in the near future. This beast is the box i had built back in 2007, it's still running WinXP, and it's been dying a slow death for a few years now. Just have no money to upgrade.

Luck Be A Job Tonight

archmage — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 22:51:44 GMT

So, you may recall that I left Jiffy Lube last month, just gave my two weeks notice and walked. It was a bit of a scary move, doing so without another job lined up, but it was something I felt I needed to do. I decided that I needed a couple of weeks to just recenter myself, and I had the money in the bank to do so without worries.

Well, that 2 weeks turned into a month, something which I firmly blame on Skyrim (gawd help me, not only have I fallen completely into it, I bought a copy for Jessica and SHE'S hooked). I did finally start looking, but I fully admit I didn't put as much energy into it as I should have. Easy to fall into a rut, you know? Now, that being said, I just put in a resume to be a Territory Manager for Valspar (paints, industrial coatings, etc.). No word yet on that.

Today, middle of the afternoon, I get a text asking if I'm working today. No clue who sent it, don't recognize the number. Turns out that this is a former customer of mine that to whom I had spoken about graphic design and whatnot. That was something like 18 months ago, but he still had my number. He's at a point where he needs a designer on staff, and called me to talk.

I scooted my big ass over to his office (all of ten minutes away!), and we shot the breeze for a good hour and a half. I met the rest of the office, we discussed possibilities, yadda yadda yadda. In the end, he's not sure if he wants me for an artist, or if he wants me for some other reason...but he wants me there. Can I start Monday morning?

O.o - Um, YEAH.

How in the HELL did that happen? Dunno, don't care. I like what I'm seeing, what I'm hearing.

True Immortality - R.I.P. Christopher Lee

archmage — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 12:03:55 GMT

Christ, it was a punch in the gut to read of the death of Christopher Lee this morning. Don't get me wrong, he has well earned the rest, but this was a titan to me.

Fact is, the term 'legend' gets tossed about like it means little, and indeed, in this day and age of quickly manufactured and quickly dismissed substance, I almost want to avoid the term...but I fear that trying to find a way to describe his legacy would only devolve into excessively florid language.

He truly is a legend. His body may be lost to us, but he is yet immortal.

People Are Terrible™

archmage — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 03:24:41 GMT

I have a fairly low opinion of human society, this is no secret. Sure, there are persons that I like and treasure, but in general, I don't think much of humanity. Then, I run across moments like this one, and I just kinda want to cry.

- Wal-Mart Fight -

This actively saddened me

- The woman in the scooter who obviously didn't need it. Too lazy to walk around? Sure got up out of that seat to fight fast enough.

- The complete lack of social grace, manners, or even consideration. No clue what this fight was even about, could barely hear them, but...seriously? What could possibly neeed to go this far?

- The sheer idiocy of the situation. You're fighting in a Wal-Mart aisle, for the luvva. You're bitch-wrasslin' in the shampoo area. There's no part of this that isn't going to make you look like a moron.

- The child...oh, god, the child. That made me saddest. This child's actions, reactions, speech. his mother, his mother, calling on him to punch the other woman in the face. The total and willful lack of respect. you have no doubts of the kind of man he'll grow up to be.

- The first impulse being to laugh and film. Add to this, the conversation later about how it's better, nowadays, not to try and break it up for fear of being caught up in a lawsuit.

There's not a single thing here that doesn't bother me. Sure, this is a bit extreme, not everyone is this bad...but it's terrible that ANYONE is like this, much less how often I see and hear the opening to this. Do they follow through? No, usually someone backs down or thinks better of the consequences, but why be like this at all? Stupid, STUPID little things that make low-class, low-intelligence people feel the need to puff up and alpha out, basing their entire being on postures of strength and violence. 'Cause, y'know, we aren't inundated with THAT shit every day.

Thanks to all of you who have a brain, and some ethics. Thanks to all who try to resolve conflicts in a civil manner. Thanks to all who raise their children to respect each other and the world. Thanks for those that have and teach manners and gentility.

And damn the rest of you.

archmage — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 16:21:22 GMT

I have a bit of a rep for being fairly "bah, humbug" about the holidays. Honestly, it's not that I dislike them, I just get very tired and annoyed very quickly by the weird forced joy and insane consumerism, especially when it is combined with an inability to get away from the constant music (don't get me started on the fact that so many musicians feel the need to put out a holiday record with their own spin on the music).

Sorry, little off-topic swerve, there.

Anyway, I don't actually hate the time, just the expectations. I'm more likely to have fun if I am not forced into it. Hell, I've spent entire work days in the garage in a Santa hat while working on cars, just for the goofiness of it. I amused the entire art department of Graceland by singing "Blue Christmas" at the top of my lungs. Jessica and I have a 4-foot fake purple tree.

So, in the end, here's me wishing all of you the best of the season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Spiritually Fulfilling Equinox, Rockin' Festivus, Cool Yule, Sweet Saturnalia, and Happy Holidays to you all.

Now, get that spirit in your heads...and keep it all through the year. No reason to only be excellent to each other for a few days, when we can do it all the time.

In Vino Veritas

archmage — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 01:49:44 GMT

While indulging in a bit of alcoholic relaxation tonight, I came up with a toast that I am fairly proud of. I posted this to FB (because that's where you post when you are drinking, natch), but I liked it enough I want to make sure it's not forgotten.

"Drink to the future, drink to the past, drink for the friendships that truly do last, drink to the sun and drink to the moon, and drink for the fun that is over too soon."

I like being a wordy bastard.

(Crossposted like a mafacko)

Start Again

archmage — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 16:30:36 GMT

Haven't posted here much in the last year. Partly, my work schedule takes me away from everything more than i care to admit, partly a bit of burn-out, whatever. Gotta admit, though, I miss the old place. So, thinking of opening the windows, airing it out, giving it a bit of a dust, and firing it back up.

Gonna try to make a regular thing of posting. I was never one who was so happy about Facebook and any other 'social media'. I avoided it for a long time until I found it to be the one place I could try and keep up with an old friend who might have been dying. Well, several years later, she's (thankfully!) still alive, but I hang around there because most other people are there, primarily. Still, it's just not for me.

'Social Media'...ha. Used to be that I'd get together with friends and we'd talk, laugh, game, goof around, etc. Now, I see groups of people gathered together to stare at their own smartphones. Not my kind of hang-out. Just a couple nights ago, I took Jessica and her mom out to dinner. As we walked to our table, it seemed that every group I passed had at least half the table playing with phones or tablets. Kids included! It is no surprise to me that children seem to have such low interaction skills and abilities, we aren't teaching them how to act in public, how to speak and converse, or how to deal with the world around them. Sorry, topic swerve, but it was on my mind.

Anyway, FB has it's use, but it's not as good for discussion and pondering. Heya, LJ, I missed you.

Dunno who all is still around here, reading, so gimme a holler.

R.I.P. Gerry Anderson

archmage — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 01:57:59 GMT

I'm a huge fan of Space: 1999, and a big fan of both UFO and Thunderbirds, so it was with a bit of sadness that I learned of Gerry Anderson's death today. He'd suffered form mixed dementia, and was 83, so maybe this was a release. I can't really be sad, as his creations will continue to entertain me.

You'll be remembered, sir.

Time

archmage — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 21:25:17 GMT

My phone rang this morning, it was work calling. I picked it up and simply said "I'm not coming in to work today, Jay!" There was a short pause before he replied "I'm not asking you to, just had a question...". I laughed, but I was serious. ;)

Got T'giving dinner, finally, cooked by MIL. Got laundry done. Got supplies at the store. Got to sit my happy ass down on the couch and watch a movie, holy shit. I'd forgotten what it felt like to have a true day off!

House is almost completely unpacked. Slowly but surely looking less like a warehouse and more like a home. Feels good to not have dog mess, dust, and various craperoo everywhere.

archmage — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 11:49:38 GMT

Be sure to give snobahr some love at the Friday Pix!

archmage — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 18:19:05 GMT

Phone rang early today, 'Twas Kathryn asking for help. Bill and Tina have moved to their new place and got out everything but the (fucking huge) desk, and they need to turn over the keys in an hour. Bill's at work, Tina's useless, could i help? No clue how Bill and I got that desk in there, as it does not fit through the door. Took it apart to make it easier to move, muscled it down a flight of stairs alone, did an amazing job of maneuvering. As i lifted it into the pick-up, I broke part of it. Improved it, IMHO. Ah well, that part wasn't necessary.

Got free breakfast. Ah, greasy/starchy/deliciousness, I miss you.

CostCo run. People in large stores lose their ever-lovin' minds. Plenty of food for the house, though.

More stuff loaded up from the old house, pretty sure that's the last of it. Schlepped 6 loads or so up the stairs to the apartment, and managed to slam my fingers in the door on the last load. Really? Way to go, jackass. Also, part of it was some pots/pans/plates/glasses that Tina donated to us...and they are pretty much awful. Greasy, not well-cleaned, and ugly as home-made sin. Since we bought some really cool plates and glasses for ourselves, think these are just gonna get donated somewhere.

Back hurts, tired, still need to put all this stuff up and get posters up today. J's feeling a bit poorly, sadly. Gotta try and take care of my baby.

archmage — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 03:26:27 GMT

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I ended up working 7 days in a row. between the work time and the drama and the whatnot, I was wiped the fuck out, no surprise. Only have a little over a day off, and I'm back at it tomorrow. Still, it'll be a short week, what with Thanksgiving and all...and the extra hours last week will offset this short week somewhat.

Finally having a day off, it was time to dive into trying to get the new place in order. I simply haven't had the time or energy to do it, and Jessica's been sick, so the place has looked like a bomb full of boxes went off. I wanted to get posters on the walls, but that was not to be. I did get a lot of books unpacked (thanks go out to Toby and Kristine for the shelves!), laundry done, grocery shopping done, and the house set up a little more. One day, the place might look like we live here, instead of just storing boxes here. ;)

Still haven't called my Mom back. mostly, this is due to just not having much to say and no time or energy to spend on it, but there's a small part that is not calling out of petty spite. Calling me five months after your birthday to try and guilt trip me about not calling you on your birthday when I work 12-hour days pretty much all the time and haven't talked to much of ANYONE is pretty annoying.

Not much else to pass on. A little bird told me that snobahr is going to do a "Friday Pix" post tomorrow, so if you need your fix, bop over there and show her some love. In that same vein, I think I'll start putting the pix I would have done my weekly posts with up on my Tumblr, so feel free to follow it if the mood strikes you.

Well, it's been a long day and I have to go back to work tomorrow. No rest for the wicked!

The End Of An Era...and The Friday Pix

archmage — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:34:15 GMT

It was 2003, forever ago by Internet Standards (such as they are). unrepentant ran his weekly "Friday Pictures" and they were a fun mix of interesting shots and funny captions that made it a great way to start the weekend. I, along with many others from across the 'Net, were fans that showed up religiously, week after week. It had been a little while, though, and the toll of life was weighing heavily on him, and he needed to get stuff done. The Friday pictures were ending.

As I said on January 14, 2004, "someone's got to put their foot down and provide that Friday entertainment. I am that foot."

For almost nine years, I've made a post damn near every Friday full of the weird and the wonderful, the beautiful and the bizarre, the funny and the fabulous, each with a caption meant to make the reader laugh, smile, think, or feel. I've had to skip the occasional day, but that's still something like 450 posts over close to a decade.

It's been fun, scouring the 'Net for pictures that I think would be good to include. Many sites, I check regularly, knowing they are good sources. I've had many a shot sent to me by loyal readers and friends. I know of people that have given up on LJ, but who check back each week for the Friday Pix, and that makes me feel pretty good. I'm glad to have provided amusement for people this way. However, I've noticed that the Friday Pix is starting to become more and more work. It's not the pic-finding, it's just the time. My life is in a different place, and I just don't have nearly as much time to find those pics much less to get them arranged, re-sized, and posted. I've thought about this for a while, and it's time to shut the doors on this one.

I hope I've helped many a weekend get started on the right note, and I want to give thanks to all those that have enjoyed the posts over the years. Comments and "likes" have kept me doing it for this long, and it makes me happy to know the effort has been enjoyed. If someone else wants to take up the torch, please do.

Thanks for watching, reading, and enjoying The Friday Pix, friends. It's been a swell ride.

archmage — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:44:24 GMT

- Moving is all but done. There's a small bookshelf still at Kathryn's house, but past that, we're in and done. Of course, now there's unpacking of boxes, arranging, and decorating to be done. The place has its ups and downs, but overall, we're glad to be here.

- Work is work. I'm still working long hours for low pay, but I'm appreciated for the work. My district manager is making rumblings about looking to promote me to a full manager some time after the new year, but I don't know if, when, or any details...including if I feel I'm ready or even want it. The money would be good, but there are just so many things about the job I don't want. It'd look good on a resume, though...

- Yes, I'm glad Obama won a second term, as i feel he'd be better for the country than Romney. Not gonna engage in any further discussion. Also glad the whole brouhaha is over, so I can stop seeing political ads and bullshit. Well, the bullshit we've seen, now it's time for the NEW load of bullshit, both crowing from the winners and sour grapes from the losers.

Friday Pix

archmage — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:54:44 GMT

My apologies for missing out last week. Moving and working and other factors have really been taking a toll on me. To make up for it, here's a double-sized Friday Pix!

Kung-Fu Monkey

Storm from space

Yes, she can see you

Well, it COULD be hamburger buns...

Awwwwww

Awwwwww

Someone really loves this car

Going down's not so bad...

They go everywhere together

Windy? Not so you'd notice.

The kind of costume you can only really get away with when the kid is that young

Classic in the snow

Memories of your trip

Impressive

Mini-Angus!

Bananaphone

You can never get enough of baby monkeys

Hitchin' a ride

Storm's coming for ya.

Love finds a way

Love knows no boundaries

Hey, some people pay for that kind of thing

Mommy's a stripper, maybe?

Excellent costume

It's a van! It's a yacht! It's both!

Veggie display

Well, it's not illegal to smoke while you drive...

Boat trip

Bridging the gap

I wonder if they fought over who was going to have to be Internet Explorer?

Self-contained

Looking tough

Cool computer mod

Food coma

There's a little extra testosterone in that house

Everyone's playing

That should stop people from stealing the bulb

Jazz hands!

Have a great weekend!