Absurd & Obscene & some Funny.

So, we're going to try something. Every time something absurd happens today, I am going to post it on the blog. In this blog entry. It should prove interesting. If I'm lucky, just trying this will keep all the absurdities away. I will have nothing to type & feel silly. If I'm lucky. Okay, let's start...

Absurd thing #1: I had to get gas this morning on the way to work. As I am unlocking the gas cap on the Honda Rebel I ride, a sweaty tattooed rough looking skinny guy asks me how fast I have to pedal to get my motorcycle up to 60 mph. Sigh. It might just be a small 250, but I assure him it'll reach 80 mph. He comments that it's a very small motorcycle. Seriously, though, I don't need a huge motorcycle. I don't need to compensate for anything. I'm not lacking. This was my first human interaction of the day.

Absurd thing #2: Labeling. Why waste your time if it's for other people? No, really. You can go out of your way to make bright shiny stand-out labels with people's names on them & they won't bother to look or read them. Instead, like just happened, they will walk in, walk over to where things usually are kept & start digging through other people's stuff. Everything is clearly marked with clip-on bright pink badges sporting the name of each person that a particular pile of copies belong to. The badges are even facing out so they are easy to read & spot, but no, that won't help. Inevitably, they will rummage through things in a half crazed fashion looking confused & befuzzled. Seriously people, stop. Think. Stand back & LOOK at what is in front of you. If there are words, read them. Don't just read them mindlessly. Read & comprehend them. It will make everyone's life incredibly easier, better, & more positive.

Obscene thing #1: All these wasteful desk accessories. The person before me loved expensive disposable gadgets. For example, I have a tape dispenser that dispenses one piece of tape at a time. You have to buy these special little scotch tape refills & put them in. No more regular ol' tape dispenser. Really? You can't be bothered to tear off a piece of tape? I can't stand the thing. There are so many times I need more than 2" of tape at a time. The refills are costlier than just a regular tape dispenser refill. It just seems silly. I also have an electric stapler. Yep, wave the paper underneath and "BAM!" stapled. Again, you couldn't be bothered to press down a stapler? It runs on electricity. A regular stapler runs on, oh wait, it doesn't run on anything. It doesn't sit there sucking electricity from the outlet 24/7 like my shiny electric stapler. "facepalm"


Funny thing #1: Went home for lunch. Ate leftover fried mushrooms & a bell pepper from the garden & 1 mozzarella stick with a nice glass of Blood Orange Pomegranate tea. I was talking to the baby dog as she sat on the couch. She lifted her paw & put it on my mouth. LOL. Ok, ok, I'll shut up & go brush my teeth.

Absurd thing #3:

I find it absurd that people from other departments sitting at computers doing the same job as me, or a higher paying job, ask me to look up phone numbers for them. Why? Well, you see, if they are at a computer, and I am at a computer, then they can just go to the University homepage, like I'm going to have to do for them, and look up the person they are searching for in Peoplesoft. Instead of doing it for themselves though, they want me to. So, I have to put them on hold, go to Peoplesoft, type in the name, sometimes take them off hold to verify the spelling & dept. the person they are searching for is in, & get the number. All the while tying up me up from my work to do their work. I don't know why they do this. It seems very strange to me.

Rave #1: The guys from surplus that delivered the 11 desks & other assorted furniture in 105 degree heat were thorough & efficient. Kudos to them!


Irritating thing #1: The Snickers bar I just bought out of the vending machine was melty & smashed.

Well, all in all not too bad. 20 minutes of work to go. I'm making buttloads of copies right now. Sooooo Fun! (Sarcasm)

Cinderella LIVE!

What? What!? WHAT!?!

So, I finally got to see Scorpions live. I was super excited. All my life I have waited to let the sounds of "Winds of Change" roll over me at an outside venue as they played it for the crowd. I sat eagerly waiting for it, song after song. I rocked out to "Big City Nights" & "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and then the band said good night. I wasn't worried. There would be an encore. All these rock bands do encores. Especially if this is the last show ever in Oklahoma. They are retiring after this tour. Then the lights came on. The stage hands & roadies descended upon the stage.

What?

No way. What just happened?! What!? No, no, no. This was impossible! How on earth could this be happening? "Winds of Change" was #2 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart in 1990.

I was stunned. Shocked. They had failed to play the one song I had so longed to hear. A song cemented in my memory. A song that, still to this day, makes me tear up. In fact, they didn't play anything from the "Crazy World" album. No "Tease Me, Please Me" or "Send Me an Angel" or "Don't Believe Her". All top 15 US hits. From other albums they failed to play "Rhythm of Love" & "Woman".

Seriously...what just happened?

So away I sulked. Thank the gods Cinderella was freakin' awesome! LA Guns was right on as well. So there ya go. I've seen Scorpions live. Honestly...I wouldn't go see them again even if they weren't retiring. I'd see Cinderella tomorrow.

Despite my let down, "Winds of Change" remains permanently fixed with my memory of the Berlin Wall crumbling. I guess I'll just have to accept that the video is the only way I'll ever get to see them play it & just light my lighter up when it comes on. Maybe get a fan & place it in front of my laptop outside as I hit the play button on youtube.

Rock N America

Ho boy, Am I getting excited!? Yes! I am about to attend a three day concert of nothing but old school metal. I finally get to see all these bands I missed. Twisted Sister, Scorpions, Lita Ford, Bullet Boys, Pretty Boy Floyd, LA Guns, Steelheart, Lizzy Borden, Warrant (minus Janie Lane), Faster Pussycat, Trixter...and the list goes on.

It's an outside venue. Now Oklahoma in late July is like a skillet. It's gonna be hot. Still, I'm glad it's outside. You better believe I'm pulling out the lighter when Scorpions start wailing "Winds of Change". I'll probably cry. That song is forever tied to my memories of the Berlin wall crumbling down & all of those people finally uniting with lost loved ones. It's about possibilities & peace. Cheesy...maybe, but it's how I feel.

I've always had this dream of one big giant metal concert. This is close to that dream. My list would be much bigger & include bands like Doro Pesch & Iron Maiden, but this ain't bad. Ratt, Dokken, Slaughter, & Cinderella are going to be there too. I've seen all these bands, but I don't mind seeing them again. Especially Cinderella. In my opinion, one of the most under-rated bands ever.

So, here I am all excited, and now....I just have to wait.

Rock on Metalheads! See ya there!

The Coffee House

I'm in a local coffee shop. It has a really cool old wooden door with small panes of glass & a big heavy brass door handle. There's a sign on the outside of the door that politely asks that you park across the street if you are going to stay a while. That's where I parked my black motorcycle. It's a really large spot with art painted on the walls that border the back of it. It's also easier to get out of then trying to back up with oncoming traffic coming at you.

There are two middle-aged women sitting next to the object of my attention, but a space left just for me. They have all taken up residence on a chocolate colored cloth couch in the very back of the coffee house. I plop my backpack down next to hers, say hello, and take the empty space up on the couch. The two middle-aged women are chatting like parrots as she rises & asks what she can get me. I smile & request my usual as I notice the women are dressed much younger than they are in t-shirts & Capri pants. They both sport extremely short haircuts, with the blond woman's being a little more daring with a bit of hair gel used to spike it up a bit. It's obvious she likes attention. She shifts in her seat constantly & uses her hands to talk. The other woman, who has dyed black hair, is more timid. She seems a little uncomfortable, almost embarrassed by her friend's bravado. I hear tidbits about yoga instructors, work, etc.

For some reason the blonde woman feels compelled to loudly announce that she parked out front rather than parking in the lot across the street as the little sign on the door suggested. The other woman looks embarrassed & admits she did as well. They discuss whether they should move their vehicles. Of course, they have no intention of even attempting to move their vehicles. This stage play is all for my benefit. Well, me & my companion. These types of plays are the worst. If I wanted to see a melodramatic play put on by bad actors I'd go catch a middle school play. Although I think middle school kids are quite a bit better. On & on they go. I've never really grasped what this does for people. I guess it's a way to admit you've done something in order to escape being called out & shamed by it.

Suddenly, the dark-haired women gets up & announces she needs to visit the restroom. I think the blonde woman's loud admission has slightly embarrassed the other woman & she seeks the restroom as a refuge to gather herself. As she walks to the door marked Womens, the other one flamboyantly waves her arms around & shouts that she's going to check on the cars. Check on the cars? Really? They need checked on? So outside she goes. What a show. The silence lasts only about 30 seconds. Once the two are reunited, the show starts again. Funny, I came to get coffee, not for a show.

"No tickets or slashed tires!" shouts the blonde woman much louder than she needs to for her friend to hear her as she walks by me. Sigh...really? Slashed tires? Oh the drama! The darker haired woman smiles & tries to ignore her over-dramatization. They fall back into their gossipy conversation about other people. I over hear comments about a friend's snide remarks & concrete thinking & how she gives & gives but her friend never listens when she tries to talk about her problems & her life. Somehow, I doubt it.

You know, I don't like to talk about people. I didn't come in here with the intention of talking about people. I like to talk about other things. Things like the universe or what amazingly weird insect I discovered today, or why Crepe Myrtles are named Crepe Myrtles. I enjoy topics on volcanoes, or weather patterns, or Star Wars & it's influence on culture & society. Talking about people is so overrated & boring. It always seems to be negative as well. People that talk about other people never go around spouting about how wonderful other people are. You never over hear things like, "She's amazing! She always listens to me & is there when I need her. I can't imagine what I'd do without her.", or things like, "My husband spoils me. I am so lucky to have someone who understands me so deeply." Isn't that odd?

I find it even harder to block them out when I hear the word "Artist" froth from their rabid mouths. I'm an artist. People usually have very interesting things to say about artists. Damn, they've pulled me in. I continue writing in my little sketchbook, changing nothing, as if I don't hear them. Of course if they are transparent to me, I'm sure I am just as transparent in my act. They critique his art by viewing paintings the blonde has stored on her phone. First up for consideration is a painting of a woman. At least they think it's a woman. The blonde boasts that he is the top artist in the state & received thousands in scholarships. Oh, and he's dating someone she's related to. The second painting is called, "What Time is It?". The dark haired woman looks confused. The blonde woman tries to explain why he is so good, but it's clear that neither of them really get art. I would like to look this kid's work up. Being an artist myself, I'd be interested to see the "top" artist in the state. The blonde explains that he painted it to capture the moment he fell in love with Mariah. Oh, Mariah must be the blonde woman's daughter. He posted it on FaceBook and only he & her know what the title alludes to. Um...not anymore buddy.

Why am I listening to this? I try to get back to my thinking & writing. Then I hear tidbits of the conversation & conclude that now they have switched to a conversation about love & relationships. Something about why wait & marriage. I smile & laugh a little inside. Marriage has absolutely nothing to do with love. If it's love, true love, there is no rush. It won't magically disappear if you don't grasp it in your hands & hold onto it. You won't lose it. It'll wait forever if it is really love. With those thoughts I look over at the person sitting to my left. Someone I can sit with in silence. Someone that no words need be spoken to. We can simply sit & write & create & be so deeply connected. We sip our yummy coffee drinks & write, creating new worlds & new images never before seen. No gossip. No negativity. Just two people who love each other left in a coffee house on a chocolate couch as the 40 something drama queens exit & leave us in silence.

The end.

My blog.

I think my blog is bipolar.

New job....same old crap.

So, I just switched positions within the same dept. recently. I am now considered an admin. asst./receptionist. I hate it. No, really. I'm a month in & I absolutely loathe it. This is bad. My art show is coming up in October & this job is zapping me. I have to stare at spreadsheets all day & when I get home I can't focus my eyes anymore for my art work. In fact, it's hard to focus at all on anything. I absolutely despise Excel. How on earth do people do it? How do they enter data constantly. It makes me uptight, tense, moody & gives me headaches. The fact that it is messing with my ability to focus when I get home is really getting me down.

I have no idea what to do.

I am not going to want to be here much longer. I'll be lucky to make it a year. I know, I probably sound whiny & spoiled, & I should be happy to have a job, but I'm not happy. The benefits are nice, but this job is not for me. It is not helping me reach my goals.

Again, I have no idea what to do.

All I know right now is that I better figure something out or this is going to end badly. The old job wasn't any better. It was for a while, but it got bad too. The constant negativity & put downs where bad for my self esteem. Now the esteem is good but the health & creativity are being drained away.

This sucks.

Art & Love

So, I have approx. 2 months to really get things going for the Art show I managed to snag. What Art show, you ask? Why the Art show I have in October at Coffeeslingers in downtown OKC. No, for real, I finally have my own show. At first I was nervous, but then I was like, nah, I can do this, & then I was like, I need to think about what I want to do, and now I'm like, Holy crap!!! I have an Art show in two months!

I must admit, just having one has spurred on the creativity. Slowly it creeps back from the depths it was been pushed down to by retail & the pointless creative-less redundant workplaces. I feel it rising, slowly pulling itself up to stand on its own two or four or sixteen feet again. It feels so nice. Hell, it feels. There was a time where I was afraid it was dead. I was afraid it was broken or dead. It's not.

It's been a weird experience though. I've never really thought so much about what I paint. My stuff isn't exactly the kind of stuff people want to hang on their wall. It's all emotionally based reactive art. By reactive, I mean based on my reaction to things. Not shock art. So much of it is about things we, as a whole, don't like to look at. Oil spills, war, theology, politics, social issues & inner conflict & turmoil. Not flowers or hay bales in a field. I look at it & think, "Are they going to let me hang this?", "Will this cause the coffee house owners to have to put up with crappy comments from customers?" I certainly hope not. Then again, it would be creating conversation & perhaps an exchange of ideas. Still, I'm not trying to incite negativity, just thoughts. The negative/positive depends on the viewer really.

It's a little scary. I don't expect people to "like" my work. I do want them to see it though. If it sets off just one person's brain, then I'll be happy.

I used to be too scared to show anything to anyone other than my friends. Afraid the world out there would think I was crazy & lock me away or dismiss me altogether. Luckily, one of those friends that has been over a hundred times, has never stopped encouraging me to try. That's really amazing. To keep encouraging me for the last 15 years & never giving up. Over & over again, trying to talk me into it. Sending me articles or links to little shows here & there. I can honestly say, I owe this show to her. To her & T. T for just putting up with me for 14 years. It's not easy living with an Aspie (person with Asperger's), but she's done an amazing job of teaching me how to communicate & be more social. I've also got some really amazing people in my life. People who are still fighting to make their dreams come true. We gather together at least once a month & vent our frustrations & share our desires & support each others attempts. I know, in my heart of hearts, that one day, we will all be where we want to be. These people are too amazing not to make it happen. All of us just have to cast off all the BS we were taught & keep working toward the goal. Happily ever after is possible. Look around. It's there. You see it all the time. Society tells you it's only the lucky ones, but the one's telling you that are the ones that gave up. Never give up. Never stop trying. There are millions, let me repeat, MILLIONS of people living their dreams.

Seriously. I'm not kidding. Think about all the singers, songwriters, screenplay writers, special effects artists, painters, writers, guitar players, dancers, orchestra directors, zoologists, entomologists, and millions of other occupations that people do & love. Sure, maybe you don't know their names & maybe they don't make a million billion dollars, but they are happy & pretty well off. They are doing what they chose to do with their life & they love it. For every JK Rowling or Stephen King, there are hundreds of thousands of writers you've never heard of. All of them successfully selling book after book & paying their mortgage. Society tends to only focus on the mega stars. Being famous or a mega star isn't what it's about. Doing what you love is. Don't let them scare you. Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something you dream of, & only surround yourself with people that love & understand you.

I'm blessed to have so much love in my life. And understanding. I'm not an easy one to understand sometimes.

Now, back to the painting. I only have two months to get this all together!!!!

The Return of Futurama: A Critique

Good news everyone...

Well, June 24th marked the triumphant return of my favorite TV show to the airwaves. How was it? Awesome & meh. The first episode was pretty good. It did however feel a little different. I can't quite put my finger on it yet. Things just seem a little off. The Planet Express building, New New York, & other familiar places seem a little unfamiliar. It's like walking into a house you lived in for twenty years after someone else has lived there 5 years. It still looks like your old house, but things aren't where you expect them to be. The walls are a different color & someone put wood laminate down where the orange & avocado shag carpet used to be.

The character Leela seems to be completely off. All the other characters seem exactly the same, but not Leela. She's weaker & dumber. Which makes me really sad because she was a really strong character. Sure she had her ditzy moments, but she had very clearly defined character flaws that now seem completely lost. The second episode was completely unbelievable for me because Leela didn't just shove off the log & kick Zapp's ass. She let Zapp pretty much call all the shots & she seemed easily controlled. There was absolutely no sexual tension between the characters & she gave in way too easy to a guy she supposedly hates. The Fry/Leela relationship is also very muddy right now. Are they? Aren't they? Fry's reaction to the Leela/Zapp thing was also unbelievable. All in all it was a very uncomfortable episode to watch & left me with a bad feeling in my gut. That "be careful what you wish for" feeling.

The third episode was better. We got back to addressing pop culture issues which Futurama always did so brilliantly. Still though, the toilet/juvenile humor is much more than it used to be. I liked the smartness of Futurama. The way the show was so good at addressing political, theological, & relevent social commentary. The cohesion of the plot is very lacking & they seem to be trying to get out all the proverbial "fart" jokes they can due to being on Comedy Central, a network that allows more of that sort of thing.

If Futurama doesn't smarten up & lessen the crude humor, I think it's headed in a bad direction. They need to pull the plot together by addressing one or two issues in the sarcasticly smart fashion of the original, find Leela's original personality, & drop the frat boy attitude or it's going to crash & burn.

I know they can do it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Here's a preview of the episode from this week:

Futurama	Thursdays 10pm / 9c
e-Waste Delivery
www.comedycentral.com
Futurama New Episodes Futurama New Episodes Ugly Americans

Sleeping Beauty Collectible

Wow! This is gorgeous! This is a box inspired from the movie Sleeping Beauty. In the movie the three good fairies hid their wands inside a box like this so that Briar Rose would not find them. It is sculpted resin with wood grain finish and is about 8'' H x 6'' W x 4 1/2'' D.

There is also a Beauty & the Beast box, shown here:


And a Cinderella collectible/box along the same lines, shown here:


These are all just gorgeous! The Sleeping Beauty one & the Beauty & the Beast one are both around $85.00, while the Cinderella is a bit more affordable at $70.00.

You can find all of these awesome collectibles at THE DISNEY STORE.

All Eleven Doctors!!!

Wow! This is an awesome offering from Underground Toys & Entertainment Earth ! All Eleven versions of the Doctor in one Tardis shaped package! Available in August for the price of $99.99! Not too bad a price. That's less than $10.00 a figure! Figures are about 5" tall.

Also, check out this nifty Tardis. Yes, I said nifty. And bow ties are cool.



It floats in mid-air. How clever is that? Brilliant, I say! The Tardis measures a little over 3" tall. If only it had a button to push that would play the theme song.
This little do-hicky will run you $35.99 over at Entertainment Earth. It is available for pre-order & should be shipping in August.

Sideshow Gamorrean Guard Figure

Available now for Pre-order from Sideshow Collectibles is this 12 inch finely detailed Gamorrean Guard. For those of you who already have the Jabba, his throne, Han in Carbonite, etc., you are going to have to pick this one up to complete the scene!

Sideshow has them priced at $119.99 with the option of Flex-Pay so you can pay it out in two installments of $60.00.

If you want one, you'd better get over to their site & pre-order it now, Sideshow Star Wars figures don't last long.

Gentle Giant Greedo Statue

Hey Star Wars fans, Gentle Giant is gearing up to release this really cool Greedo Statue sometime in December. They are taking pre-orders now, so head on over to their site & check it out!

New Gentle Giant Star Wars collectibles

Straight out of Star Wars: A New Hope come two fan favorites, Muftak and the small little bat looking creature Kabe. Sure to add that fanboy/fangirl touch to any room! Which from my perspective is a good thing. Hand crafted and Cast in high quality poly-stone these small collectibles are quite detailed . Muftak and Kabe measure 7" and 5" respectively.

These limited classic cantina creatures are shipped together in a 2 pack box, both with matching edition numbers and a certificate of authenticity. They will be available as of February 2011, but you can get your pre-order on now!

Gentle Giant collectibles, from a collectible stand point are a good bet. They are usually a pretty low number as far as edition size, and seem to only escalate in price once they are sold out. So, if collecting something that gains value is of interest to you, you will most certainly want to pick these guys up. The pre-order price is listed as $129.99.

Have fun & May the Force Be With You!

Thundercats make a return!!!

That's right! Thundercats are on the move, Thundercats are loose! Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with Studio4°C, have announced they will be re-booting the series for Cartoon Network.

Check out all the articles about it here, here, & here!

Maleficent Painting

Check out this beautiful print of Maleficent! It is a great tribute to the sorceress from Sleeping Beauty. It comes with the frame as well.

Here is some info from Sideshow's site:

The 'Accursed Gift' Fine Art Print features:
Limited Edition Giclee on Canvas
100 piece hand-numbered edition
Signed by the artist Steven Daily
Comes with Certificate of Authenticity
Print measurements: 19" H x 24" W
Size (Including Frame): 24.5" x 30.5"

Go check it out at the link here: "Accursed Gift"

Artist Michelle Vaughan

So, I stumbled across an artist I wanted to share with you. Her name is Michelle Vaughan.

I LOVE her ant drawings.

Go check out this one: Ant Drawing #4

Enjoy!

New music Thursday feat. Lissy Trullie

Lissy Trullie is a native of Washington, DC. In high school she and her mother moved to New York. A kid of divorced parents, she spent the mornings sifting through her dad’s large record collection as he schooled her in the ways of Motown, Surf Rock, Folk, Soul, and Classical. In the evening is was her Mother's copy of Tommy that got all of her attention.

Later, she was an art school graduate who dabbled in music, but still hadn't found the confidence to really immerse herself in exploring her own musical talent.

Finally, with the support of friends & anyone who heard her play, she went for it, writing & making her own original tunes.

Her first release was with an indie label out of Brooklyn called American Myth. This label allowed the band to expand & control their own way artistically.

Self-Taught Learner came out February 17, 2009 & Lissy & her band continue to play out & tour all over the US.

Go check her out!

Myspace

Blog

Website

Website Wednesday feat. Coopstuff.com

Do you know who Ed "Big Daddy" Roth is? Do you like motorcycles, tattoos, roller derby, hot rods, pin-up girls, punk subculture, Psychobilly, Rockabilly, Mod Subculture, surf culture, Pop Art, Surrealism, Kustom Kulture, or DIY? I've got an art site for you then. Posters, paintings, books, clothes & more.

If you said "YES!" to any of these, then here is a website for you! http://www.coopstuff.com/Coop

There is an excellent selection of things to buy on this site. From art work to t-shirts, belt buckles to zippos, if you like this style of art, you are sure to find something you want.

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's art was an influence on me when I was very little. My brother had picked up a "Rat Fink" car model & I was fascinated by the art on the box as well as the model itself. I really loved the bright colors he always used that made the stuff seem to really pop. Coop does the same thing.

Coop is a hot rod artist working from Los Angeles. He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1968, and describes his occupation as "Insensitive Artiste". His work consists primarily of barely clothed Bettie Page-style 1950s soft pornography and/or B-movie monsters, with the female characters often taking the role of "Devil-Women". The artwork up top is Coop's.

Go check out the site!

Art Tuesday feat. Jasonchanart.com

Happy Tuesday to you. I stumbled across a cool artist I like while browsing around on ConceptArt.org. Jason Chan. His Star Wars art for Wizards of the Coast really caught my eye, but his other stuff is really wonderful. There is an abundance of fantasy based artwork. Beautiful stuff. Go check him out. He has a blogspot blog & a page on ConceptArt.org.

Jason's Blog

Movie Review Monday Feat. Breakin' & Breakin' 2

That's right, this Monday I'm going old school with the movie review. Somehow, all through the 80's, 90's & 00's I managed to never have the privileged to enjoy the films "Breakin'" & "Breakin'2: Electric Boogaloo". Both movies were released in 1984 by Cannon Films. Both films incorporate street dancing & the emergence of rap music. Ice-T appears in both films. I absolutely loved these movies. I'll be honest, it's easy for me to love anything that I feel really captures the feel of the 80's & I really feel like both of these movies did. That feeling that dance or music or art could bring the world together & community centers & love could get people off the streets, set them on the right path, & change the world for the better always reel me in. Definitely feel good movies. The street dancing is really cool to see. I was quite the break dancer myself in 5th & 6th grade. The films are a pretty average 80's formula. Rich dancer girl unhappy with where she is at meets cool urban street dancer. She is pulled into a world of dance she never knew existed, where people feel what they dance & are real, unlike her fake greedy money hungry world. Confused by her feelings & feeling like a bit of an outsider she returns to her fancy dance school where her dance instructor forces himself on her. She pushes him away & runs back to the street dancers. They form a group, TKO, which stands for a combination of their street names, Turbo, Special K, & Ozone.

I want a cool street dancer name.

Anyhoo, the movie then becomes about trying to get the uppity dance companies & show producers to recognize street dance as a legit art form. It is also about looking past stereotypes & what our parents have told us about the "bad" side of town. We are all people with dreams, wants & desires.

Seriously...I absolutely loved this film. If you love Flashdance and/or Xanadu, you will probably LOVE it as well. If you do not like either one of those movies, then I don't recommend Breakin' or Breakin 2 to you. You just aren't the kind to sit back & enjoy a fun movie. I guarantee, you will not be able to sit still. Before you get to the end of the film you will find yourself getting up off the couch & breakin' yourself.



The second film was just as good & went with the community center threatened by rich white people who don't get it plot. For as cheesy as it is, funny how this plot is still true & happening all the time. I've always wanted to save a place by dancing & getting the whole neighborhood to dance the bulldozers away. It would be so cool to pull off in real life.

So, if this summer, you find yourself bored & in the mood for some cool 80's dance & feel good vibes, don't hesitate to pick these two films up. I bought them for about $6.00 a piece at my local retailer.

Action Figure Friday feat. Universal Monsters

New from Diamond Select, Old school Universal monster figures. These figures stand 8-inches tall with over 14 points of articulation and cool full cloth outfits. They very much resemble the old MEGO figures of the 70's & 80's. Very cool.

The first set of figures in the series include the lumbering Frankenstein Monster and the ravenous Wolfman!

You can Pre-order them from Entertainment Earth right now, or you can wait & see if your local comic shop or retailer can order them for you.

music Thursday Feat. Lena

Lena Potapova is from Russia. If you know me, you know I love Russia & Russians. I don't know why, other than Russia is so very old & lots of crazy & cool things have gone on there & the people are survivors. They don't seem spoiled or lazy. Now, to be honest, I've never been there. I have no idea how it really is. All I have to go on is the few Russians I've met & stories from my friends that have experienced Russia.

Lena is the perfect example of a survivor. She has been beat up, charged as a Russian spy & locked up, managed a restaurant in Tibet, almost been sold into a brothel in China, and finally managed to make it to the good old USA. You'd think things would get better, right? Nope. The USA just treated her the same way as the rest of the world. She has been stigmatized for being an immigrant, abused & even raped. All of this has not stopped her.

She writes & sings music, blogs, and has a column with Shankbone. She is very opinionated about sex & has a very unique perspective. Go check all of it out. I really like some of her stuff.

I think for me, she's one of those people that I look at & think, wow! she is living her dream despite everything that has happened to her. I really have no excuses.

Website Wednesday

IRIS. It's a cool little earthquake tracker. It shows you were things are shaking up & when. I look at it daily. I tell ya, Chili has yet to stop shaking. They have had close to a 5 or bigger every day since the big one. Why wasn't Chili as big a deal as Haiti? Where is all the American aid? Curious.

IRIS

Art Tuesday

Here's something I am working on. I drew a whole slew of weird aliens one night after watching a thing on concept art for character development. I wondered if I could come up with some cool looking aliens. I just started sketching and this is one that I created. It was just a pencil sketch, but i scanned it in & have been playing around in CS3 with it. So far I like it. I really want to get some texture going on the skin though.

I think I'll name him Ceros of the race Metapenas.

Movie Review Monday

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Terry Gilliam. Terry Gilliam is one of those people that I absolutely love, but think should not write screenplays. His imagination is amazing. The ideas & visuals he comes up with fantastic! His plots & stories are thin & sporadic. I can't say I didn't like this movie. I can say I wasn't satisfied with it. There were so many directions & plot lines to follow. What I wanted to see never manifested itself. All the actors were great & again, the visuals were awesome, even inspirational to a painter like myself, but overall, I once again had to question why Gilliam never seems to really dig deeper & follow through. Sure it had a main plot, but just like in his previous films, sometimes the main plot isn't the most interesting plot. It's not the one, as the viewer, you really want to explore. If you like Gilliam, then you'll like this movie. If you don't, then skip it. If you aren't big on plot & don't mind plot holes & multiple plots all running at the same time, have at it. I really think this could be a fanfic writers dream. There are so many things you could take & run with in this story. I'd give it a C. Not wonderful, not terrible, visually pretty, & inspiring story ideas.

What a great weekend!

Wow. I feel like I had a weekend. A REAL weekend. T & I had been so busy that the house looked like a hoarder's house. There were piles of laundry in various places, dishes piled to the ceiling & trash on the kitchen counters, so Saturday we woke up,, went & hunted down our FREE comics on FREE comic day, went to Tarahumara's for lunch, shared a Pina Colada with our meal, headed home, put on some tunes, dug in & started cleaning. Good thing, too. Later on in the day our friends called with a brilliant idea. To come hang out at our place! Hooray! We hung out on the patio, had some drinks, talked about life & lit the fire pit. It was a beautiful evening & night.

Sunday found us sleeping in until 1:30ish. Even Leela slept in. As soon as we were up & around it was off to Hideaway for some delicious pizza. Once our bellies were again stuffed, we came home & walked the dog for over an hour. She's such a good little dog. She was quite happy. It was then time for a supply run. Off to Target we went. I found a clearance hammock to replace my old torn up one! Score!

We did manage to miss getting Leela's food at Petsmart. They were closed by the time we got there at 6:04pm. I always forget they close so early. So she had to try some Newman's Organic Beef. OMG it smelled horrific, the texture was gross (think hot dog before it is shaped into a hot dog), but she ate it up.

T decided she loved the vanilla pudding we made (not-instant) that she wanted to make chocolate & butterscotch this time & make them into pies with organic home-made whipped cream on top. Well, who am I to argue with that?

Sunday came to an end the same way we always end Sundays, piled on the couch watching British comedies on PBS.

A wonderful happy weekend.

I hope everyone has a great week this week! Oh, and remember, May 4th is Star Wars day. May the 4TH be with you!

Art Tuesday

So I sent out samples of my work to a local coffee shop that my friends frequent. They gave me a heads up on an art request flyer & an e-mail address. I sent them 7 samples & an e-mail. To my surprise I got one back saying they liked my stuff & wanted me for October.

What?

Really? Holy crap. For real?

Now the fun begins. Framing & getting everything show ready. It might help if I actually went to the coffee shop & got an idea of how much space I have to cover. Lol.

I haven't EVER had my own show. I've shared a show, but never ever my very own.

The not having a reliable car thing really makes this difficult. Getting to the coffee shop, I mean. That's what friends are for, right? Right guys? Hello?

I also have a new set goal. I have to get some new work out. I have a deadline. Deadlines make me work.

Woo-hoo!

If you live in OKC (Oklahoma City) or any of the surrounding areas, go check these guys out: Coffee Slingers

This just proves one thing. The only thing stopping any of us is ourselves.

Thanks Chris & Cindy.

Movie Review Monday

I didn't watch movies or TV all weekend, so again I am without a movie review.

So instead, I'll talk about getting rid of stuff & my car. For over 30 years I've been a Star Wars collector. I have spent thousands & thousands of dollars on Star Wars collectibles. My car, however, is going on 22 years. It has been put to pasture once, rescued by my brother, repaired & now needs a new radiator, hoses, rear shocks, and a transmission check that will include getting a fluid flush, new seal, filter, & possibly a new pan. Hopefully that fixes the weirdness with the transmission & it doesn't need to have a whole new transmission. I love my car. It's a '89 Buick LeSabre. I paid right around 8 grand for it back in 1995. It was a one owner with less that 45,000 miles on it. It has been all the way across the country, from Ohio to the Texas coast. It has only broken down twice, both times due to the main computer board going out. It wouldn't have gone out the second time if the dealer had diagnosed the computer as the problem rather than the battery & alternator the first time around. I had to argue with them the second time & insist that they put in the new computer & not charge me the full price because I paid for a battery & alternator I didn't need replaced. After that I learned to replace most things myself. I've put in a water-pump, a harmonic balancer, two alternators, a coil pack, plug & wires, serpentine belt, fly wheel, fuel pump, reservoir tank, front & back brakes, tie-rods, headlight bulbs, window switches & working on replacing the head liner. Wow. That seems like a bunch. I'm sure there's more. I know I've had at least 3 to 4 sets of tires put on her. I've had at least 3 flats & 1 blow-out. She's been rear-ended sitting at the train tracks waiting for the gates to lift & I slightly tapped someone in front of me when I slide into them when they braked suddenly. No damage. Not to the car anyway. The woman that rear-ended me messed my neck up pretty much for life.

Anyway, I digress. My point is, I don't have a reliable vehicle. I have tons of Star Wars crap, but it sits there, staring back at me blankly. I can't use it to travel. I can't use it to get me from point A to point B. It takes up space in the attic, the shed & the house. I need a new or slightly used car. Since I purchased my Buick, car prices have risen incredibly. I want a new Buick. I love Buick. Unfortunately the cheapest Buick's are around $27,000. Holy crap. Even slightly used ones are out of my price range. How on earth do people afford cars nowadays? I mean $27,000 is over a quarter of what my house cost. That seems insane to me. Not to mention the cost to tag it, the taxes & the title cost. Good grief.

So I'm stuck. I have a nice little Honda Rebel I purchased when the Buick went to pasture that gets me to work & back, and sometimes a little farther, but I want to see the world. At least the United States. I work full time, plus I make a little on the side from time to time with my art & photography, but not nearly enough to pay for a new or slightly used reliable form of transportation for long distance travel. The mortgage takes over half of my monthly pay. The insurance, taxes, & upkeep even more. How on earth do people do it? I have quit buying Star Wars collectibles for over three years now. Most of the stuff I get now is donated by friends & gifts from family. I think it's time to purge. If only there was a way to trade most of it for a new or slightly used car. I'd do it. Right now. Oh sure, I'd keep some of it, but only a little. The stuff that has a place. The tubs in the attic & in the shed would go. I need to see this great country. I want to see Mt. Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and most of New England. I'm tired of only knowing Oklahoma. I want to KNOW the USA.

Action Figure Friday feat. Star Wars Book Ends

Now available from Gentle Giant, Return of the Jedi Jabba's Palace book ends!

You can pre-order them from Gentle Giant for $249.99 or head on over to Entertainment Earth & pre-order them there for the same price. There is a variant version that differs with the addition of a Jawa & an interchangeable Leia head with her mask off (only available to Premier Guild Members).

Music Thursday

DJUNYA

Looking for music to make art by? How about meditate? Relax? This music is great for that.

Go check it out. DJUNYA

Website Wednesday

Massive Black Are you an artist in search of inspiration or how to videos? Do you want to know insider secrets or learn the tricks to creating fabulous illustrations? Massive Black is a site you need to go check out. Here is their description of themselves & what they do from their "About Us" page: "MassiveDVD is a collaboration between the uber-talented folks at Massive Black Inc. and the world famous Conceptart.org community. Our goal is to serve you guys, the soon-to-be even more badass artists, by providing the best training videos possible from some of the greatest working artists today."

They really do have some cool videos. Pay & preview. These are from people working IN the industry. If you are like me, you've taken classes from people who have never been IN the industry only to find that they really had no idea what they were talking about. Technology & guidelines change so quickly now that this is a great way to stay on top of things.

Go check out some of the previews for their tutorials & lessons here: DVD Previews

Also check out some of their stuff on Youtube.

More Art Tuesday

Art Tuesday Ribbon for Support

I made a ribbon to support the troops. ALL of the troops.

Movie Review Monday feat. Defendor

This is probably one of the best superhero movies I have ever seen. I was expecting a comedy, but this was not that. Sure, it was funny in parts, but wow...I mean...wow. The writing was excellent, the directing just as good, and the acting by everyone was spot on. This just might be the best movie I have seen all year. It's really a deep, sensitive, beautiful story about a guy that wants to be a superhero. I like how finally, someone wrote a script that doesn't glamorize the bad guys. The bad guys look like real bad guys. Greasy low-life fat greedy drug using unclean lazy bad guys. Not millionaires, not playboys, not guys in cool suits with cool technology, but gritty realistic jerks who prey on the weak. You really have to see this film. I don't want to say anything else about it, because I don't want to give away anything.

The Intergalactic Trading Company

Have you been looking for obscure collectibles from Doctor Who or the original Battlestar Galactica? How about the 80's Buck Rogers action figures? The Intergalactic Trading Company has some of the most obscure hard to find items anywhere. Back in the early 90's I ordered all of my "Beauty & the Beast" TV Series stuff from them. They are a great company. Go on over & check out their site. Intergalactic Trading Company

EXCLUSIVE Toys R Us Figs

According to Mattel, this 2010, Toys R Us will have the exclusive rights to the Wrestlemania 26 figures listed below:

Basics: Chris Jericho, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Matt Hardy, Christian, and Drew McIntyre
Two-Packs: John Cena / Batista, R-Truth / John Morrison, and Big Show / The Miz
Elites: Undertaker, Triple H, Jack Swagger, and Rey Mysterio

That means these particular figures will only be available at Toys r Us. If you are a wrestling fan keep your eyes open for them.

It's an extremely sad day for Metal Heads...

I came into to work today, turned on the computer, loaded up my usual set of social networks, went downstairs, got my coffee, came back up stairs, signed in and was greeted with terrible news. Peter Steele of Type O Negative passed away. My first reaction was anger. Anger that he let the drugs & depression take him. Anger that T would never get to experience them live. I was lucky enough to catch them with Ozzy in the late 90's. It was a concert experience I will never forget. I researched the band & tried to keep up with Peter & his fight against deep depression & addiction after that show. I was jazzed when he did a duet with the Goddess of Metal, Doro Pesch, even if it didn't quite work. It seemed like he was headed in a good direction. I've read he was. No one knows yet whether he OD'd or if the years of Cocaine & alcohol just finally caught up with him. Cocaine is extremely damaging to the heart & never repairs itself. It could be that it finally just gave out. Still, 48 is way too young to go.

Celebrity deaths or any death, usually makes me sad simply because someone didn't make it. Someone's demons won. I hate it when the demons win. I hate it because I too have demons. We all do to some extent. This is why we have to live for the moment. This is why we need to see ours dreams through today, not tomorrow or next week or next year, but NOW.

I never met Peter, but I've never heard a bad word about the guy. Most people described him as extremely sensitive, big-hearted, & a genuinely good guy. He was quite sarcastic in his musical lyrics & I LOVED that. Type O made me laugh, rock, and feel deeply, but there was a deeper haunting feeling there as well. It's almost like Peter was able to transfer his deep sadness through the music sometimes.

I hope Peter is in a better place. I hope his family & friends are able to get through this & move on. This one hit me hard. Maybe because it was a misunderstood, creative, sensitive artist that seemed to be a really good guy that we just lost. I don't know. All I know is I'm glad he had enough courage to get his art out there. I'm glad I got to know Peter Steele's work. I couldn't have created some of my works without his playing in the background.

R.I.P. Peter.

Oh, but that's not all. Right after I see that Peter Steele has passed I find out that Pretty Boy Floyd's bassist, Vinnie Chas, has also passed. I just had their cassette playing in my stereo yesterday. Yes, I said cassette. I was super excited about Pretty Boy Floyd coming to the Zoo Amp in OKC & had pulled it out to play for T. Now, I'm almost 100% certain he wasn't going to be on the tour (I think they have another bassist), but I've always been a pretty big fan. Two bassists I admire in one day. I'm telling ya, I'm feeling pretty low.



R.I.P. Vinnie

Music Thursday

Wax Tailor feat. Charlie Winston " I Own You" from SoLab on Vimeo.

This is a nice little commentary about how your stuff owns you. The music has a great sound & the video is really cool. Go check it out.

Website/blog Wednesday feat. Jen Elsner

I know a woman who does some cool art & she sells prints & originals as well as does commission work. She has a B.A. in Anthropology & History & is working on a Master's in Professional Writing. She also has an Associate's in Graphic Design. Pretty impressive. Her influences in her studies really shine through in her artwork. Go check out her stuff over at her site: Jen Elsner

She's great at portraits & loves requests, so if you have a piece that you've always wanted someone to paint, give her a try. Be warned though, she is a professional. If you don't have money to pay her, & I'm not talking $20.00 money, I'm talking hiring a professional artist money, don't bother her. That being said, her prints are really reasonable.

Go on over! What are you waiting for? Jen Elsner

Art Tuesday

I ran across some videos on Youtube of several Mega churches preaching about the EVIL of Pokemon. How Pokemon were actually called Pocket Monsters which led the preacher to the conclusion that monsters = demons. That the main goal was to capture all the "demons" and make them do your bidding. If you get really good at making the "demons" do your bidding, you get to be a Master. Master = Witch or Warlock, which = SATAN. Man, where do these people come up with this garbage. It's obvious this guy has never seen any Japanese Anime or Manga. It's also obvious he knows nothing outside of his own tiny little world & religion. I started thinking about DEMONIC Pokemon & I wondered...what would a Satanic Pokemon look like? So I drew one. His name is Beelzebub. Enjoy!

Neil Gaiman & Jim Henson

I loved Jim Henson. He was the most magic person on earth to me. Everything he did was magic. Everything he did made me feel something...something good. He was like that warming ray of sunshine after a long winter. My dream was to work for Jim Henson. To be part of that amazing positivity & creativity. I didn't care how hard I had to work or how long the hours would be or even if I had to spend 5 years being some Muppets right arm (which I heard rumor was what you had to do to finally make it in & get your own Muppet). He died a couple of years before I made it to college. I cried. I cried like someone in my family died. I cried because I felt like somehow someone had pulled a shade over the window & I could no longer feel the sunshine. My heart was broken.

For a long time now, I've felt like all of that magic might be lost. I asked myself & T, "Where is that magic man or woman? Where is that creative genius that makes you feel things so strongly?" I think I found him. I think I found him several years ago & didn't even know it.

Neil Gaiman.

Just today, I realized that this man is magic. He makes me feel the same ways that Jim Henson did. The possibilities, the positivity, the dreams, and the magic. Sure, I know, he's just a guy who happens to be a writer, but I know secretly he's something else. He's a magic man. A Shaman. A storyteller.

It was just today, all of the sudden, I realized they still exist. Thanks to this little 4 minute video my friend Scott found & posted to THAT big social networking site. I'm going to post it here and maybe you too, will feel & see the same thing I did.

Thanks Neil. We need you. Keep writing & dreaming & sharing.

Art?

Okay...I think I need to be a little more bold. I had a wonderful time this weekend swapping stories my friends & I had written, critiquing them & getting down to the things that keep us stuck & how to change that. I feel bold when it comes to writing, but still seem like the shy kid in the back of the room when it comes to my art. I don't know why exactly. I mean sure, it's just me baring my soul, but is it really? Paintings really have a way of not being about the artist as much as they are about the viewer. People are going to see what they want to see & interpret things based on where they are & how they feel at the time. So what is it that makes me keep stacking them up in piles or lugging them into the attic to get covered with dust? I'm not sure. So I'm going to stop. I'm going to put them up & put price tags on them. If someone wants it, well who am I to stop them? I'm going to start sketching more. I want to post these musings as well. The pre-idea. The beginnings. The scribbles. I've always loved the art that comes before THE ART. It so much more free. So look out world. Here I come.

Movie Review Monday

So over the weekend I had the privilege to watch "Men Who Stare at Goats". I LOVED it. If you are a Star Wars fan you should see it. If you aren't, you should see it anyway. You don't have to be a Star Wars nerd to get it. It's about a military group during the Reagan years. It's also about a man trying to find his own truth in life.

The acting was wonderful. I loved the journey. It ended on a slight downer message but they tried to fix it with a visual upper. Still, I wouldn't have changed a thing. If you enjoy the Coen Brothers, Guy Ritchie, or Tarantino, I would strongly suggest you go rent this.

It stars Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey & also includes one of my favorite supporting actors Robert Patrick (T2, Alien Trespass). It was directed by Grant Heslov from the screenplay by Peter Straughan which was adapted from the book by Jon Ronson.

It's fun. Go rent it!

Action Figure Friday

If you love the shows Lost or Dexter, or the movies the Big Lebowski or Flash Gordon, then you really need to stop over at BifBangPow's blog & have a scroll through. These guys are awesome & make some really high quality sculpts. They are a very small company, but you wouldn't know it from their output & dedication to toy & action figure making.

They have by far the best Twilight Zone figures ever. They also have the absolute best Flash Gordon (1981 movie) figures ever. Being a huge Flash fan myself, these figures are spot on. If you are a Flash Gordon fan & you don't own these figures....well, I might have to question whether or not you REALLY ARE a Flash Gordon fan.

One of their newest figures comes from a music genre close to my heart. Metal. Scott Ian sculpted in plastic & ready to take his place on your mantle. He's 8-inches of rawness. Head on over to here: Entertainment Earth to pre-order. He's $18.99 but he won't be released until August, so you have plenty of time to scrap up some change.



Help keep this awesome company going & pick something up. Remember, they aren't Hasbro or Mattel, so if there is something you've always yearned to see in plastic, these guys are way more likely to make your dreams come true. That's why we need to support the little guys. Seriously, go check them out. Bif Bang Pow!

New Music Thursday

New music it is, too. Brand new. Recorded just days ago. Plus, it's free if you want it for free. If you want to donate/contribute/pay for it, you can do that as well. Your choice. If you follow Amanda Palmer then you probably have heard the wonderful news that yet another artist has been set free & the chains of music industry slavery been released from around her creative, impulsive spirit. In celebration she released her song: DO YOU SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH THE WHOLE TRUTH
AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH SO HELP YOUR BLACK ASS
(apologies/mad props to Niggaz With Attitude)"

It is fun & crazy & everything Amanda embodies. Oh, & did I mention...it's free? Of course if you do pay for it, guess where the money goes? To the artist, Amanda F'n Palmer. All of it. So whiz on over to her site: Amanda Palmer

To go directly to the song, go here: Free Awesome Music that the Artist actually gets paid for

Congrats, Miss Palmer, on your newly acquired freedom!

Website/blog Wednesday

I found a great art, comic, pop culture website that I want to share with you. It's called Sidebar. They have great insights, video goodness, upcoming things to get excited about & just lots of cool info on the site. They also have a link to the Visual Artist Podcast Network. Go check it out. Maybe you'll learn something. Maybe you'll have fun. Maybe...gasp...both.

Art Tuesday

I've been researching Illustrators. Part of me wants to do this. Another part of me wants to make movies. Concept art. Bring things from the written word to life on the page. I found a great blog with some awesome illustration work. Go check it out: http://jesperejsing.blogspot.com/

This guy is really great. He explains his process. I realized I have the sketching & thumbnail thing down, but I need to learn to do painting thumbnails. I just try to jump from pencil to paint without any color testing or idea of exactly what color is going to go where. Color composition is just as important as overall composition.

I really don't want to use a computer for illustrations, but I am slowly realizing it must be done at certain steps. Publishers use this. Dimensions & industry standards & such. Looks like I'll be saving up & maybe even taking some classes to figure out how to do this.

Here's a few more illustrators to check out if you are interested in Illustration work:

Jesper Ejsing

Mo Willems

Brett Helquist

Movie Review Monday

Clash of the Titans came out last weekend. I had planned to go see it, but the reviews from my trusted friends were less than inspiring. The reviews online were just as bad. Even some of the nerdiest sites that I usually agree with completely dogged the film. I was quite disappointed. I was really excited about this film. Sure it was a re-make of a sub-par film, but I thought it would be fun. I was hoping they would fix the mythology they messed up in the original. I'm a huge Harryhausen fan, but was looking forward to seeing what they would do with the monsters. Instead(WARNING:spoilers from this point on), I read & hear that they completely ran from the original mythology as well as the 1981 screenplay. There seemed to be no motivation for Perseus, Pegasus got 10 to 15 minutes on screen, there was no relationship between Andromeda & Perseus, no special helmet or shield, no Bubo (the owl), the CGI monsters were lame, & most people thought the characters lacked depth & any sort of spirit. Wow. I just can't understand how someone can take an ancient story that has stood the test of time & completely ruin it. Why do these Hollywood types never adapt what is already there? Why is it, that not one single movie ever made has successfully captured the awesomeness of Greek storytelling? Not one. Isn't that crazy? These stories are some of the greatest ever, yet every time some moron thinks he can make them more relevant or make them better & ends up losing the soul of the tale. Look at Troy (which I sort of liked), Alexander, & now Clash of the Titans. Ugh. Now, to be fair, I haven't seen Clash of the Titans. I steered clear & saved my money. Unfortunately, I haven't heard one single good thing I can pass on to you guys. Go see that cute CGI Dragon movie. "How to Train Your Dragon", I believe it's called. I've heard wonderful things about it. People LOVE it. I might just find myself going into the Film & Video studies program just to make a Greek masterpiece come to life. Somebody sure needs to. Someone who gets it.

What?! What happened?

So somehow I let two whole weeks get by me. No blog posts for two whole weeks. For shame. However, I did managed to write another Children's Story which I plan on illustrating this weekend while T grinds away at her school work. My friend Amy updated her status on one of those social network sites by putting, "...is a Stubborn Tomato", and all of the sudden, like a bolt of lightning, I had a story in mind. I went home, sat down & had it all written out by the time T got home around 9pm. I like it. I like it just as much as my "Chicken" story. I can't wait to illustrate it.

This leads me to a question. Why do I keep fighting this Children's author thing? I mean, at this point I am up to five different books, with one completely written and illustrated. So what's the deal? I'm not sure. I think I'm a little afraid that I won't make an acceptable children's author. Of course, that's a silly thing to worry about before you even try. I mean really, what do I have to lose? I am also a little frightened about not knowing what I'm doing if it comes to getting an agent or signing contracts. Again, I'm not even close to that yet. My friends Chris & Cindy had wonderful advice for figuring out things you don't know. Write to people who do. Write to a whole mess of them. Your sure to get at least one response, and really, that's all you need.

I think I'm going to do this. I looked up the address for the fellow who wrote and illustrated "Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus", one of my personal favorite picture books. He used to work as a writer on Sesame Street. How cool is that? He's been influencing me for years and I didn't even know it.

So here it goes. Illustrate and complete the Tomato story this weekend and time permitting, finish illustrating "What Happened to Snaily" and "Tiger and Monkey" as well. Write some letters, mail them off, look up submission guidelines and before you know it, you'll be purchasing my book for your kiddos.

Wish me luck.