July 2005 Archives
Tomorrow I will (attempt) to capture the third and final day of Comic-con for us, but for now I am compelled to write an entry that's been bouncing around in my head for a week...
Ode to a refugee
I just don't understand what happened. My home. This was my home, and now it's gone. My grandparents grew up in this home, as did my parents, as did I. I was even raising my own children here -- oh sure the rooms were small, but somehow we made due, and I could hear the voices of my ancestors before me as I tended to my beautiful babies. The view was unmatched, and food was plentiful. We were in Eden, and didn't know any better. But as the apple falls, the serpent shows its fangs and it's over before we realize what's happened. I swear I only went out for the afternoon. We were running low on groceries, and they were all sleeping so peacefully -- what could possibly happen? What hubris. Damn it, I can't take it back and now I'm worried sick and so confused. There used to be a door here, I know it -- now... just a wall, bloated and unnatural... and impenetrable. My grandmother told me once of a story similar to this, but in her tale she worked her way back in, and found solace. Not now. No, I have this sickening feeling that my children are gone, and I am left adrift, forced out into the open cold after so much of my life spent in relative safety. It's not like I gave up easy. I banged on the wall, tore at it with my hands and kicked it with my feet. I even tried biting through the unnatural growth that blocked my way in to my loving children. But no avail -- this blockage could not be moved. The door was now shut. If my babies were in there, I don't know how they're going to get out again. What am I supposed to do? I don't know the outside world, the streets are all strange to me. This is my home, but it is gone. All gone. Resigned, I must retreat and find safety in another home, perhaps near enough to gaze at my ancestral halls, or perhaps a distance away where the evil that has consumed my life cannot find me. In a world of giants and monsters, I must thrust myself. Perhaps it's time for me to leave the garden and venture out into the greater world. Yes, I think that must be the case. This is a sign of some sort. Yes, a higher path. Let me venture, and cleanse myself of the pain of my loss. Let me continue the work of my forebearers. My babies are gone, but more will follow. More, that is, if I can find safety. Goodbye home. Perhaps we'll meet again, but something tells me that will not come to be.
Goodbye.
| the Prankster |
| CLEAN | COMPLEX | LIGHT Your humor has a slightly more intellectual or even conceptual slant to it. You're not pretentious at all, but you aren't into what some would call 'low humor'. This isn't to say you wouldn't laugh at a good dirty joke, but you'd definitely prefer something clever to something moist. You probably like well-thought-out pranks and/or spoofs and it's highly likely you've tried one of these things yourself. In a lot of ways, yours is the most entertaining type of humor. PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Conan O'Brian - Ashton Kutcher |
 |
My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
| Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on OkCupid Free Online Dating |
Okay, so I wrote this wonderful elegant exciting account of the third day of comic-con, but then my browser was closed accidently and I lost it all. I'll write it again tomorrow.
but for now...
I have rats. Yes, nasty little fucking rats. I've actually had a rodent problem for over a year but they've up until now stayed on the outside of the house. But they've been becoming more and more cocky, coming out in the daytime to steal the dog's food instead of waiting until nighttime. They've been living in the space that separates the chiminey from the side of the house, and though they never invaded the house, I found their presence to be increasingly irksome. About two years ago they destroyed my summer garden, eating tomato plants to the ground and decimating my basil and any other thing that grew out of the ground. Since then they've flourished on oranges, apples and pears from our fruit trees, and living in the chiminey heights apartment. Lately the little bastards ahve started coming out in the daytime, as I said, and I finally hit the wall. I called up my exterminators, who have been putting down bait stations for about a year and told them they needed to escalate their service. Today Aaron came, a very nice and helpful guy who helped me seal up the chiminey space once and for all with a combination of steel wool and spray foam. It turns out they don't want to chew through the steel wool, and it keeps them away... or in, it turns out. I knew when he sealed up the passage there was a very strong probability that there would be one or more rats sleeping in their little hotel in the sky, and that they'd be trapped. I had assumed that since the chiminey space was against the wall, that the buggers would have nowhere to go and would just... die there. Well, tonight they've proven me wrong. They've found a way into the chiminey column itself and down the chiminey chute into the house. I've seen five of the guys drop down, bewildered and helpless, looking for a way back up, or a way out, and though I've felt bad about it, I whacked three of them over the head, one of them has crawled back up the chiminey (but he's got to come back down again, because there's nowhere for him to go), and one... well, I'm not really sure where he's gone. He's probably somewhere in the living room right now. I am uncomfortable going to bed knowing that I might wake up to one of these guys running around the house, or worse, many of them, tucked away in the walls, or under the couch for days, just waiting for their opportunity to jump out and scare the crap out of me or my family, or bite the toes of my children. so I sit, waiting to glimpse out of the corner of my eye a brief movement telling me he's come back down and is ready for some dealing with. These guys have all been tiny and though I have the flu shut on the chiminey, they've been able to squeeze through. Though I have to deal with them, at least they aren't the full-sized mommas I see cruising outside the window, wondering how to get back into their dens, wondering where their babies have gone. I do feel a certain amount of compassion for them, they being very intelligent creatures. However, I can't have them living in my house and threatening my family with disease. I can't wait around for them to jump into a trap or find their way out an open door, so I whack them with the fireplace shovel (sorry Serena). Thing is, this last little bastard is getting smart, and keeps popping down but as soon as I come over, he goes back up. So it's a waiting game. Eventually he's gonna get hungry and thirsty, or I'm going to get tired, and either he's going the way of his brethren, or he'll win and end up somewhere in the house.
It's 3am. I'm still waiting. There's no clear path for this guy to get out. I've blocked his exits, and he's going to have to come into the house eventually. I'm tempted to light a fire in the fireplace, but then I'd have to open the flu, and who knows if he's the last guy there. It's all grisley business that I wish I didn't have to participate in. The joys of living near a field. Ugh.
I know, I'm making you all wait on pins and needles on how the con went, but I can only report so much and remember to so much detail each day. Bear with me.
On the second day, the intrepid adventurers discovered to their great delight that their kids and obligations were all left at home, allowing them to sleep in until 10:30 am, get their stuff on and together, make copies of their scripts, and head over to the convention center at around noon the next day.
We walked around the hall, starting off in the small press area, but stopping by Dark Horse every few hours to try and make contact with Anita, our direct line to product review. Of the places of interest, we found a group of self-published coworkers from Pixar that put together a great anthology and collection of comics, and I liked their book on females in the civil war so much that I bought it, and I came back in order to show them our project. They liked it, and we exchanged pleasant words. We also met with folks from 'Across The Pond', a small publisher, and we received very positive responses from them as well. We showed a copy to Dan Vado at Slave Labor, who along with the expected artistic criticisms said that he thought the mini was 'very strong', and to me that is praise hard won. We also gave a copy to AIT, and Larry said he'd read it and get back to me, but he was impressed with the production quality of the mini.
We walked the floor until around 5 pm, when Jen (Jason's wife) came in and we met her at the hotel. She came over, we picked up her badge (much easier the next day, as previously mentioned), and walked the floor for a bit. She, of course, stepped 15 feet into the convention hall and got handed a free comic that normally runs $5, for the exchange of her artistic opinions to the artist. We leave the convention hall later, and head out to dinner. We go to a Persian restaurant, and our artist, Mike Parker meets us there for a delicious meal, followed with a visit to two different clubs, the first selling overpriced underliquored drinks and having only decent music, the second having a much better dance floor, better drinks and much better music. Mike became the center of a bridal party attack at one point, as the rest of us got jiggy with the booze. A good time was had by all, and we went home tired and danced out.
Tomorrow the next installment, where we get offers to do an eight-page in an anthology and an offer to have lunch at pixar...
I know, I'm making you all wait on pins and needles on how the con went, but I can only report so much and remember to so much detail each day. Bear with me.
On the second day, the intrepid adventurers discovered to their great delight that their kids and obligations were all left at home, allowing them to sleep in until 10:30 am, get their stuff on and together, make copies of their scripts, and head over to the convention center at around noon the next day.
We walked around the hall, starting off in the small press area, but stopping by Dark Horse every few hours to try and make contact with Anita, our direct line to product review. Of the places of interest, we found a group of self-published coworkers from Pixar that put together a great anthology and collection of comics, and I liked their book on females in the civil war so much that I bought it, and I came back in order to show them our project. They liked it, and we exchanged pleasant words. We also met with folks from 'Across The Pond', a small publisher, and we received very positive responses from them as well. We showed a copy to Dan Vado at Slave Labor, who along with the expected artistic criticisms said that he thought the mini was 'very strong', and to me that is praise hard won. We also gave a copy to AIT, and Larry said he'd read it and get back to me, but he was impressed with the production quality of the mini.
We walked the floor until around 5 pm, when Jen (Jason's wife) came in and we met her at the hotel. She came over, we picked up her badge (much easier the next day, as previously mentioned), and walked the floor for a bit. She, of course, stepped 15 feet into the convention hall and got handed a free comic that normally runs $5, for the exchange of her artistic opinions to the artist. We leave the convention hall later, and head out to dinner. We go to a Persian restaurant, and our artist, Mike Parker meets us there for a delicious meal, followed with a visit to two different clubs, the first selling overpriced underliquored drinks and having only decent music, the second having a much better dance floor, better drinks and much better music. Mike became the center of a bridal party attack at one point, as the rest of us got jiggy with the booze. A good time was had by all, and we went home tired and danced out.
Tomorrow the next installment, where we get offers to do an eight-page in an anthology and an offer to have lunch at pixar...
I know you've all been waiting to hear how the con went, and there is so much to say and so many ways to say it. This might be a very long post, but we'll see if I have the stamina to put it all down before I fall asleep (it being 1:30 AM at the moment).
This story must be told in the right way and in the right order, so it begins on the day that leave to comic-con. I've packed my bags full of our first printing of the mini, clothes and sundries for the three-day stay. I'm ready and waiting to go, Jason's just arrived and we're off to the car, and Eli stops me. He tells me he's got something for me that I have to take on my trip. I stop, and receive from him a large googly eye. Now such a gift can easily be taken and forgotten by a parent or any adult by a child, but I have learned in my years to take all gifts such as this as omens, and so I happily received the gift of the eye and tucked it into my pocket, knowing it would play some sort of role in my journey.
Jason and I loaded our bags into my car and drove ourselves over to Adrienne and Jim's, to in turn pack all of our bags into Adrienne's wagon, and drive ourselves to Oakland. We parked at Quickpark and took the bus over to the airport, checked our bags and went through the security lines. Here, the omens of the eye already start to work their magic. We have our pick of two security lines, both of which are backed up quite a ways. I make a call and choose the far line of the two, 'challenging' Adrienne and Jim to a line race. At first they take the lead, but fairly soon it becomes apparent that our line is moving way faster. So fast, in fact, that we finish up and are through security a full five or ten minutes before Jim and Adrienne.
Once we were all on the other side, we found our gate with ease and were nearly first on the plane. The flight went smoothly, with Jason and I working most of the trip on a new issue for the comic. We land fairly smoothly for San Diego (those who have been there, know what I'm talking about), get off the plane, grab our luggage, and cab into town to our hotel. There we meet up with other SDCC buddies and head on over to Ralph's for the usual pre-con load-up on goodies. But before we go, I order up a roll-away bed (our room only has a king), which is delivered by a four-foot-six lady who I try to help, but am spurned for she knows what she's doing and has done it a million times before. She folds out the bed, and leaves.
Starving, we head off to Ralph's to get food and supplies for the week, including snacks, a six-pack of coke, a six-pack of diet coke, a six pack of Pilzner Uruqel, a large bottle of Captain Morgan's spiced rum, and a large bottle of Pirate bay Pineapple Rum (mmmm). We brought our booty back to the room and I called down for a mini-fridge. The same poor woman came up with two stacked on a dolly, and hefted the top one into our room. What a small and mighty woman she was. I unload all the stuff into the mini-fridge, and we head out to get our badges. As we cross the street and take in the gigantic conference center, Jason points out the second omen -- the symbol of the comic-con is of course, a gigantic eye.
We head in, and stand in line to get our badges (a line that takes us two hours -- future tip, we don't get our badges on Wednesday), and while in line get handed a few mini-comics by other publishers/individuals which does much to bolster our confidence in our story and our efforts. Without naming names, we were shown that high production quality is not enough to make a good comic, but it is enough to get it looked at. Luckly, our mini has both good production quality and good content. We are appeased.
Once we get our badges, we walk the floor a bit and get completely overwhelmed. Then, we head out and decide to pick up our second-run prints of the mini (the first ones had a few typographical errors, and we decided to make a rush order down to the San Diego Kinko's to get it right -- as it turns out, the print quality was poor, and the fools cut them too large, so we couldn't make hybrids of good covers and good contents). Once we grabbed our minis, we headed out to get dinner at The Field (yummy Irish pub), and on our way out to find something to do for the evening, just walking along fifth street, Jason hears music. He looks over, and we spot a DJ supply store named 'Battle Monkey' up a narrow stairwell. The bottom of the sign says 'club info', so we head up.
The store was a trip -- had lots of gear and apparrel. Jason bought a 'selfmade' tee with fists breaking from chains. I nearly made a purchase, but couldn't find a monkey monk shirt in my size. There are lots of club flyers, and Jason grabs a bunch, but on a hunch asks the woman behind the counter where the cool places to go are. She gives us a tip for that night to a club just downstairs (Red C) at which she is spinning that evening, and for a club on Friday called 'Dragon Lounge', held at the 'Kava Lounge' that isn't on any flyers, but she says is THE PLACE to go for good drum and bass.
We take our leave, having acquired lore from a local guide, and gear up for the evening. We make it to the club that night, which turns out to be a good but basic set. We hang out, have some drinks, and do a bit more work on Horizon, but mostly we chill. It was a satisfying first night, and around 1:30 the club flashes their lights for last call. We bail, and head back to the room.
I will tell the tale of the next days and eves tomorrow and the next days, because it's now like 2:50 AM, and I need to head to bed.
Actually, Kinko's did just fine. I, however, somehow injected a typo into the copy on the first paragraph of the first page of the mini, which is going to force us to re-run at least a small batch of non-borked booklets for leaving with publishers. The 50 that I did run w/ the error in them will become give-away copies to those who are interested, in order to generate buzz. Other than the typo, the mini turned out really well I have to say. It looks really cool, IMHO.
In other news I stayed up until 3 am getting ready (yes I'm back-dating), but mostly trying to fix a damned bug in some pachyderm code, as to be done with my portion before I leave for 3 days right before we launch a beta. Unfortunately, I didn't get the work done as planned, and it's totally got me frustrated. The project in general is suffering from understaffing and overwork, and this beta release planned for monday of next week is really becoming painful for the few of us actually doing the work. But after today, there's not much I can do. I'm going to go try and get a few hours of sleep now, so that I'm not a total insane wreck tomorrow (which is officially in 2.5 hours).
Fuck. I'm exhausted. I'm already missing my family and I haven't even left yet. All I have to say is, I damned better work my ass off while I'm down there to make all of this worth it.
...but I opted to go with Kinko's instead. I could have gotten a 48-hour turn-around on the cafepress version of the mini-comic, but several things held me back from going that way:
1) I had a BIG PAIN IN MY ASS getting the files into the proper pdf format, and after I was actually done, the website wouldnt' accept the file. it was HUGE (64 megs) so it took 17 minutes on my lan to upload each time, and I tried 10 times before I gave up. It left a bad taste in my mouth. They were very nice and someone took the pdf from me and reformatted it so that it would work (I guess they reduced the quality of the images to get them to a smaller file size, but is that what I want?)
2) By the time they had gotten everything straightened out for me, I had already checked in with Kinko's, and they had a 24-hour turn-around. That's if I waive the proof, which I did, and I hope that doesn't bite me in the ass, but we'll find out.
3) There's just something about going in and laying my hands on paper and deciding what goes into the final product. I'm not totally 100% happy with the final choices as I owuld have preferred a different glossy-type cover for the mini, and I live in fear that it's going to look too cheap, but whatever. That's what publishers are there to provide -- quality.
4) I found out last-minute that cafepress doesn't print inside covers, and I had lain out my pdf expecting it, so I'd have to not only move the inside covers to the end or elsehwere in the mini, but I'd have to renumber and reposition everything, which would have sucked ass.
5) Kinko's was less than half the price, for a quicker product.
So, I am guessing that sometime tomorrow I'll get the call that things are ready for me. I'll go and pick up the mini's and hopefully they're all beautiful.
Tell me to stop worrying.
646-lb catfish caught in Thailand, may be record: "Mark Frauenfelder: Fishermen in Thailand caught what might have been the largest freshwater fish known to man -- a 646-lb whopper of a catfish.
Link (thanks, Shawn!)"When wildlife officials caught wind of the catch they urged the villagers to release the adult male so that it could spawn, but it later died and was eaten, the groups said. They did not say when the massive fish was caught.
(Via Boing Boing.)
What science knows it doesn't know: "David Pescovitz: Scientific journal Science is celebrating its 125th anniversary by asking 125 big questions that science can't answer... yet. The ground rule in the selection process was that 'scientists should have a good shot at answering the questions over the next 25 years, or they should at least know how to go about answering them.' Here are the top 25:
What Is the Universe Made Of?Link"
What is the Biological Basis of Consciousness?
Why Do Humans Have So Few Genes?
To What Extent Are Genetic Variation and Personal Health Linked?
Can the Laws of Physics Be Unified?
How Much Can Human Life Span Be Extended?
What Controls Organ Regeneration?
How Can a Skin Cell Become a Nerve Cell?
How Does a Single Somatic Cell Become a Whole Plant?
How Does Earth's Interior Work?
Are We Alone in the Universe?
How and Where Did Life on Earth Arise?
What Determines Species Diversity?
What Genetic Changes Made Us Uniquely Human?
How Are Memories Stored and Retrieved?
How Did Cooperative Behavior Evolve?
How Will Big Pictures Emerge from a Sea of Biological Data?
How Far Can We Push Chemical Self-Assembly?
What Are the Limits of Conventional Computing?
Can We Selectively Shut Off Immune Responses?
Do Deeper Principles Underlie Quantum Uncertainty and Nonlocality?
Is an Effective HIV Vaccine Feasible?
How Hot Will the Greenhouse World Be?
What Can Replace Cheap Oil -- and When?
Will Malthus Continue to Be Wrong?
(Via Boing Boing.)
David clar, one of the pioneers of the internet is heading an NSF grant think-tank to produce plans for a new, faster, better, more secure network to replace our overcrowded, spam-ridden internet. You gotta love big-brained people.
You GO DAVE! Make it work, and I will use it.
