Bunny

So yesterday after my dick of an alarm clock woke me up, and after I stumbled into the kitchen and made coffee, and was out on my deck having coffee and a cigarette, I saw a bunny. This in itself is nothing to get excited about. We live in rural OK and our lot backs up to a forest with just a chain-link fence as a separator. The thing is that I was really not awake yet. I was really groggy, and there was fog. Literal fog, mixed with sunlight, making the forest look really cool. And it was really still. Very little sound. Just me in my underwear, the forest and the fog. Then I look down and there is this rabbit. Not out in the woods, but just off my deck, about 2 feet away from me. He seemed to be doing the same thing I was. Just sitting there, enjoying the view. I moved, and he looked up at me as if to say "oh, hey, man." and went back to looking at the forest. I went inside to get Jen and Jack, because I thought he might like to see a woodland creature that wasn't dead on the side of the road, but the bunny had gone on it's way. The sun soon burned off the fog and I got into the shower.
I like bunnies. If I were to have a rodent as a pet, I would choose a rabbit. They are actually kind of cuddly, and don't smell as bad as ferrets do. But I would never have a rodent for a pet. I have two dogs, and a cat, and when I have caged animals, I like fish. So there.

What Groo does best.

Here is the May calendar-->
Flash fans will see Bitey. If you haven's seen that movie, watch it and the rest of Adam Pilllips stuff, as he is really good at flash animation.
The old school nerds will see Groo. Somebody sent me a clip of the old Dungeons & Dragons cartoon on you tube, and I saw Mark Evanier's name in the opening credits, and was flooded with memories of Sergio Aragonez's Groo The Wanderer, for which Mr. Evanier was the script editor and answered the letters column. Groo was fun. The same five gags over and over again for close to 20 years, and the part of me that stayed 12 years old never got tired of it.
Also, I really am sick of pirates and ninjas. I see them everywhere these days. Every ironic hipster t-shirt has one or both on there, there is an "ask a ninja" meme going around, and pirate crap is all over the place thanks to Captain Jack Sparrow (I will go see that movie, though. It looks hawesome).
In other news, I crossed over to the dark side this weekend, and bought a PC laptop. The decision was purely an economical one. I just can't afford Mac stuff anymore. I've had macs my whole life, but they have gotten too pricey and too snotty. All the actual technology seems to be equal, just the interfaces that are different, so since I work at a place that uses PC, and I occasionally have to work on stuff at home, and they can provide me with software to do so, $700.00 all together seemed a little more manageable than $2400.00 without software. So there you have it.
I bought it during the first Saturday I've had all to my self in years. The grand-parents took Jackson to the zoo, and Jen had to sleep of a relay, so I was on my own. I went to the coffeeshop, I saw a movie in an actual theater, went to the book store, and generally fucked off. It was fun, but I sort of ran out of things to do, and went back early. I realized that if I'm not with my family or working on a project, I don't really do much. But I'm either with my family or working on a project about 99.00% of the time, so that's okay. I guess I tend to buy expensive things when left on my own anyway, so it's probably for the best.

That is all.

oh, no!

It truly terrifies me that I find this picture so appealing.

Lost time

We had a heckuvah good weekend. Friday was our anniversary, and we drove to Cushing to see about an Italian restaurant we heard about. There are no other Italian joints here besides Joseppi's, which is sub-par, so we thought we'd give it a go. The salad and appetizers were awesome, but the entrees were kinda 'meh'. Not good enough to drive the 45 minutes again.


Saturday was the star of the show. We went to Enid, America to see our good buddy Cody.
He took us to see the farm he's renovating. He told us all about the history of the place and how it was homesteaded during the land run and built up by hand. And how a little girl watched helplessly from the porch of the house as the bank auctioned it off during the depression, and vowed to buy it back some day. It changed hands a few time over the years, sat dormant for years on end, was used as a crack house for a while, and was bought back by the little girl, now all grown up (and whose son was one of the founders of ebay), who is paying to have it renovated to period specifications before she donates it to the Oklahoma Historical Society, who will either make it a tourist destination, sell it, or let it sit for another 100 years or so, going back into disrepair.


The story of the history is as interesting as how they are going about the restoration. They started on the barn, and are re-pouring the foundation in little bits. This means that they had to raise the barn, then dig out the foundation, keeping it in place with this weird system of piers, and jacks and straps and things. So what you get is a floating foundation, and a few feet above that, a floating barn. It is really neat to see, and it is amazing that only Cody and his Dad are accomplishing all this on their own.

The barn was really awesome, but the interior the house was just plain creepy. Trent Reznor would love to shoot a video in there, or you could film the next Blair Witch there. It is riddled with bullet holes and is full of dirt and animal feces. Some stairs are missing where a cow fell through from the top floor. What amazed me was how the people who built the house were either really short or were hunchbacks, because it was really small and the ceilings were really low. The fact that it was a drug-haven at one point was what creeped us all out. I asked Cody if it was even more creepy at night, and he said he didn't know, because they've never tried it.
We tried to find a few ghost towns and only found ghost buildings, so we went back to Casa Del Cody, where he made us some kick-bottom baked ziti, we went for a walk where he told us all about the little emo girl who lives next door and hates her parents (aaah, memories...), and then we got ice cream. It was muy funtastico.

Sunday was a blow off day. We did some yardwork, We had Cody over, we grilled a pork loin, watched some movies and hit the sack. Monday was a Tulsey town day. Jack screamed the whole way down there, putting us all on edge. Though he hammed it up when we got to the mall to have his portrait made. He loves the camera. We ate some Olive Garden (shit, that's a lot of Italian food for one weekend!) and headed home. Cody went to feed his kitty, and we played with Jack till he passed out.

Then I got up and went to stupid work.

Sketchbook #10

This is some dude and another weird monster. I don't know why I am drawing so many these days. Perhaps I am channeling something. I'll bet its my co-workers. Many of them, were they turned into monsters, would look similar. I actually saw a guy yesterday that in addition to the giant gut, the tucked in polo shirt, jean shorts and newbalance sneakers, had a fanny pack, which is in itself not a rare occurrence 'round these parts. But, this guy had the strap threaded through his belt loops. WTF? Is he being economical buy using it as a belt, therefore saving money on said belt? Is he terrified that somebody is going to tear it off his waist and run off? If so, the pack-snatcher would most definitely get away, as the pack-owner is a tubby. Maybe it rides up. I'll bet that's it. Stay down there, fanny-pack! I don't need you up by my man-boobies!
In other news: This be our 4th anniversary weekend. That means we've been together for over 6 years. A record for the both of us, and I think that if we were going to get sick of each other , it would have happened by now. We have no real plans, except for going ghost town hunting with Cody Dopps, and a visit to Enid, USA. A place that I've been to before, and apart from Leonardo's Discovery Castle, it is a pit. But Cody makes things fun. He'll show us.

That is all.

Sketchbook #9

This is a Sea-Devil. Any Doctor Who fans out there? (Yes I know that this kicks up my nerd rating a few notches) I love the new series of Doctor Who. I loved the old one as well. They are bringing back the old enemies one by one, and we have had the Daleks and Cybermen so far, but I'm hoping they bring back these guys. They were so silly, and the actors in the outfits couldn't really walk correctly, so they moved really slow, allowing the companions extra time for close-ups of them screaming and looking generally angst-ridden, but not running away. I would also love to see The Master and the Sontarans, who may or my not have something in common with juggernaut from The X-Men.

That is all.

Is it 2008 yet?

In the grand scheme of things, I think that illegal wire-taps, phone data-mining, illegal wars, high gas prices, record deficits, shitting on New Orleans and shooting a guy in the face are a lot worse than lying about a blow-job. I can't for the life of me figure out why people back a political party like they back a sports team. "Win or loose, good or bad, that's my party and I'll support them to the ends of the Earth!" "You are either with us or against us!" "WOO HOO!" Both sides do it, and I've done it, everybody does it. Nobody looks objectively at an issue any more because it too damn hard. They might have to think about it for two seconds, and that is precious thought that is currently trying to figure out the map on Lost. People really need to figure out their priorities. The ISSUE is what is important, not the party.

Sketchbook #8

This is a toy robot.

So Jackson has decided that sleep just isn't for him. Doesn't like it. Last night he woke up once an hour until about 3am, when he decided he was up for good. We took turns rubbing his little back and letting him cry it out for small periods of time. He finally crashed out again around 5:30. I was up about an hour and a half after that. Couldn't find the shoes I wanted, all the big coffee mugs were in the still running dish-washer, and I had left my window down during a pretty severe storm, and a bunch of my CD's, most of which have paper covers these days, got all wet, as did my bum. I drank a massive amount of coffee, but forgot to take my heartburn pill, so I'm hella paying for that now.
But I'm in a pretty good mood anyway. We used our tax return to pay off the balance on a consolidation loan, and we set up a way to pay off our surprisingly low credit card debt. This means that after that gets paid off, the house will be our only actual debt (not counting regular bills). We have no student loans, no car payment, no stupid department store credit cards. Cash only, baby! This makes me very happy.
I'm starting to really enjoy Sia, the singer. I heard "Breathe Me" on KEXP a while ago, and as I did enjoy it, I thought she was a one-trick pony. Then I saw the vid for Taken for Granted, and some SXSW stuff, and changed my mind. She does a kick-bottom cover of Paranoid Android by Radiohead. I think I'll actually go buy that CD today.

That is all.

update- Sia used to be with Zero 7. I knew I recognized her voice. She's also the niece of former frontman for Men at Work Colin Hay.

Chaos Theory

Stilly is in chaos this lunch hour. Bushie is giving the commencement speech at OSU on Saturday, and three giant secret service helicopters just landed on the football field. I guess everyone wants a look, because traffic just got INSANE when I tried to come back from lunch. I assume they are here to stake out the "free speech zones" and find the best spots to place snipers and set up holding bins for hippies, and to wire tap the entire town.

I love a "free" society.

Pins and needles

I know, just know that you all look forward to the beginning of the month so you can see my calendar from the previous month.
Well fret no more, as it is here--->
Some one at work actually spotted the battle pod from Robotech, and knew what it was. I work with total nerds. But I drew it, so I one-up them on that. Everybody seems to enjoy the kool-aid man. I know I do. I can't drink that super sugary treat without my teeth hurting, but I do have fond memories of the fact that you can mix "Sharkleberry Punch" with almost any form of alcohol and have a yummy time. Usually the cheaper and more disgusting, comes-in-a-plastic-bottle hard liquor, the better. I wrote a comic years back about a fun time I had one night with just such a concoction. And by "fun time" I mean that I have little memory of what I did or why frozen veggies were in my bed when I awoke. I'll try to dig up that comic or re-do it for you all.

In other news, I need to pass this along:

"Congress is pushing a law that would abandon the Internet's First Amendment
-- a principle called Network Neutrality that prevents companies like AT&T,
Verizon and Comcast from deciding which Web sites work best for you -- based on
what site pays them the most. Your local library shouldn'tÂ’t have to outbid Barnes
& Noble for the right to have its Web site open quickly on your computer.
Net Neutrality allows everyone to compete on a level playing field and is
the reason that the Internet is a force for economic innovation, civic
participation and free speech. If the public doesn't speak up now, Congress will
cave to a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign by telephone and cable
companies that want to decide what you do, where you go, and what you watch
online."

"If Net Neutrality is gutted, Google, eBay, and YouTube either pay protection money to companies like AT&T or risk that their sites process slowly on your computer. Comcast could intentionally slow access to iTunes, steering Internet customers its own music service. And the little guy with the next big idea would be muscled out of the marketplace, relegated to the "slow lane" of the information superhighway. " -WWdN.

The big corporations with politicans in their pockets are looking to squash the blogosphere so it runs the was they want. I'm sure this has a lot to do with the grass roots political uprising from the last two presidential elections on the part of the Washington supporters, and a way to make fat cash on the part of the corporations. I don't want AT&T to decide that a site I want to go to will run at a snail's pace because they didn't receive some sort of payment from said site or the ISP they use. This is stupid and greedy and wrong on so many levels.
Go here for more info: http://www.savetheinternet.com/

off my soapbox now.

Aech Ee double hockey sticks

So Jackson got baptised this weekend. Now he won't wallow in pergatory. A lot of family and friends came out for it, and we had a great time. My Mom and my Dad hung out more in that 24 hours then they had in the last 28 years and both behaved themselves. I spent all day Saturday cleaning the house, trying to fix my lawn mower and smoking chinkens (in the smoker), which turned out wonderful. Very juicy and delish. People brought desserts and food and themselves. We had maybe 30 people, a lot of whom had driven a very long way. Actually they all did because we don't really have any friends here. Jack looked less faggy then I thought he would, given that he was in a romper and wearing a bonnet. I wasn't pushing for him to go up there wearing a construction worker's outfit of anything. I'm just sayin'. He looked cute.

Go here for the story that Jeff and I just finished.

You all rock!

The Ventures

This--->
(click it, you fool)

Is the comic I am sending to John Allison for his SGR Idol contest. If you don't read SGR, click on the icon to the right and read every single page. You will be sorry if you don't. I have also finished the Cthulhu story for Jeff, and he is happily banging away at the lettering. I will post that story on the NGV5 page when he's done. I am also doing the cover art for Joey's band, The Evildoers new CD. Then it is back to doodles at work and ball-point pen sketches. Oh, and new NGV5 stuff.

Visit from Aaron

This weekend saw a rare departure from Denver by one Aaron Taylor. We had a great time. He seems to be doing well. Not drinking or smoking, and he looks really fit. Due to Jason and Jennifer's stupidity, he had to be picked up by Jen's step-dad, and subjected to his company. Norm is awesome, but a bit of a shock for the uninitiated. Cody joined us on our weekend outing as well. I took Friday off and we hung out in Stilly. We hung out at the house, went to the coffeeshop, Jen and Aaron got hair cuts, then Aaron bought an Eskimo Joe's hat as well as this hat. He tortured the poor sales girl for over an hour, talking about spinny rims and headless chickens. She was awfully cute, but couldn't tell if Aaron was hitting on her or not. Neither could I. Neither could Aaron for that matter.
Cody joined us, and we went to get Chinese food, where Aaron and Cody had a little Oprah session about the state of "Denver Girls" while I ate lo mien. Back to the house for beers and patio conversation till the wee hours of late evening. Cody crashed there and in since the Powers pantry was poorly stocked due to a moderately successful attempt by Jason to lose weight( I'm down to 225 from 240 when Jack was born, and have 30 to go), we decided to hit Shortcakes. Shortcakes is a 24 hour greasy spoon with cramped quarters and no high chairs. They put American cheese (pasturized processed cheese-food product) on everything, and I was happy. Jen was not, as she ordered a cheese omelet (they had no mushrooms, that would be healthy) and she hates that fake cheese shit. We then went back to the coffeeshop, where Jackson flirted with all the cute girls on staff. Boy, if there is a cute girl or a camera around, that kid turns into the biggest ham. Cody departed to Enid for a birthday party, and we soon departed for Tulsa to see the grandparents. More accurately, for them to watch the boy so we could go to the bar. I cooked steaks that tasted yummy but were a wee bit undercooked.

The bar was fun. Jen made a new friend in the form of a drunk fucker who would hit on anything that moved.

witness--->

There were drunk girls and I smacked Jessie the bartender's ass, much to his delight. Jen was on a mission to find Cody a "nice Oklahoma girl so he won't leave" but was unsuccessful. The closest we got was a goth chick who decided to hit on me instead. Too bad. Who doesn't want to get with this?

Sunday was spent sight-seeing. -->

What a sight. The less said about that the better. I think people in OK are gonna think every guy from Denver has short dark hair and horn-rimmed glasses. We did hit woodward park. There were attractive Earth Day girls that Aaron and Cody failed to hit on. We ate Pepper's. Our car battery died, and we had to get a new one.

More patio partying back at Casa del Powers and then we went to bed, tired from all day in the sun. Monday I went back to work and Aaron went back to Denver. But not before Jackson was introduced to Greek food. The tabuli was a hit. We were then hit with rain, hail, and tornados that lasted all night. A fun weekend.

Things my wife has made up about fictional animals

I had a good weekend. I had Friday off, so I did a bunch of yardwork and chores and stuff. Saturday Jack and Cody and I went to the coffeeshop and then I cooked us all some fillets wrapped in bacon that kicked bottom. Jen made mashed potatos and they were equally bottom kicking. We drank some adult beverages and killed parasitic bugs. (one did not lead to the other)
At some point, Jen and I started talking about how I will eventually take Jackson camping and she will not attend. Partly because camping is a very father-son bonding thing, but mostly because she's really girly and doesn't like dirt. Then this happened:

Jen: Well, if you go, you need to watch out for the Oklahoma Grizzly Beast.

Jason: The Oklahoma Grizzly Beast?

Jen: Yep. It looks like a bobcat... but it has the face of a lion.

Jason: Really?

Jen: Yeah, and there's longer fur down the middle of it's back.

Jason: Like a mohawk?

Jen: Yes. And... (motioning to her mouth ala the Holy Grail Bunny scene) It has those big teeth.

Jason: Saber-teeth?

Jen: Yeah.

Jason: Oooo... Kay. Does it have stripes or cheetah spots or...

Jen: NO! It has cow spots! (Jason spits out his beer swig)

Jason: Well, does it have cat eyes or those black cow eyes that look like they have no soul?

Jen: No, listen. That's the thing. That's how they get you! It has big blue human eyes and these long eyelashes! So when you see one, it looks at you like a puppy and you go 'awww..' and when you go to pet it, it GETS you! Rawr!

Jason: Well you be sure to tell Jack about that before we leave. So I gotta deal with nightmares.


Here is what popped into my head:

Careful out there, kiddies!

Sketchbook #7

Bunch o' monsters. I really like the rotten orange monster. No one likes a rotten orange. Not even other rotten oranges. It is sad, really. I think I need more colors of highlighters. I could really branch out and waste time at work more effectively. Anybody who buys me a cool colored highlighter will receive a JP original piece of ball-point-pen-and-highlighter art in the mail.

Act now!

Litigation

This is not a real product-->

Are you confused? Brian at Doubleshot Coffee Co. in Tulsa has received a cease and desist order from Starbucks. He is to remove all mentions of the name "Doubleshot", because the company feels that it is a copyright infringement on their trademarked drink, the doubleshot. The thing is, how can one a) trademark a universal drink, made by anyone who has a espresso machine, and b) confuse the name of a business with the name of said drink?

I can understand if his store was called "Dr. Pepper's", but if Dr. pepper tried to sue him because his store was called "Soda", that would be extremely stupid.

from an email sent by Brian:

"I received a letter last week informing me that I am infringing on a trademark that Starbucks has had since 2001, "Starbuck's Doubleshot." The lawyers advised me to cease using the DoubleShot Coffee Company name, to shut down my website (http://www.DoubleShotCoffee.com), and to destroy everything I have which bears the "DoubleShot" name. Come read the letter yourself-- it's framed and hanging on the wall, over the garbage can.

"Please tell as many people as you can about this outrageous Starbucks chicanery. We figure that the more publicity and public indignation we stir up, the better chance we will have at standing up against this evil corporate empire.
Find out more information about this on the latest episode of AA Cafe (and learn how to get a 15% discount on web orders): http://www.DoubleShotCoffee.com/aacafe or on iTunes (search for "AA Cafe" in the music store).

You should listen to the podcast. This is a simple case of a big corporation stomping on the little guy. It will serve them no purpose other than to eliminate a competing smaller businesses that happes to offer a better product. A lot of people don't like Brian and would frankly love to see his store replaced by a starbucks, but regardless of your feelings, this is just not right. Fight the man!

March calender

Here it is----->
I like the little deep sea diver. This month also sees dig-dug, a space chick and the grim reaper.
Also, I was very excited to see the return of Doctor Who on the Sci-Fi channel. As latchkey kids, my brother and I were big fans, watching every sunday morning on PBS as we stayed at our dad's house on the weekends, waiting for him to get up and out of bed. This was at least until we discovered Teletunes, but even then Jeff would tape it, and we'd watch it later.
The new Who, on the heels of the Hitchhiker's movie, has awakened a dormant uber-nerd in me. I'm extremely nerdy, I know, but this is a super form that had been surpressed by good music and fashion sense. I find my self back in the comic shop a little more, and lurking around on a few message boards that maybe I shouldn't. Old favs like Robotech and Star Trek: TNG are finding their way onto my TV. I am especially excited for Star Trek 2.0, and I even watched a couple of X-Files episodes last week. I don't know if I should resist (futile) or just give in. All I know is that I'd better see a hipster/indy rock/emo concert soon or there will be tape on my glasses before I know it.

Sketchbook #6

This week we have a wrench. I don't know why.
That's a lie, yes I do. I had a professor in college who was really into Jim Dine, and I became a fan as well. Partly because my sketches were similar in style, and partly because I really respected the professor, though most students hated him.

Jim Dine did a whole series of drawings involving tools and paintbrushes and the like. He later moved into a really pop-art inspired period where he did hearts and bathrobes and boots. Unfortunately, these are what he's best remembered for, when he's a much deeper and significant artist, doing sculpture and instillation as well, sometimes all at once. I have a certain affinity with Dine, I think because we both have recurring themes in our art. I tend to put swirls and arrows and matches in most of my stuff, and he has hearts and the Venus de milo. We also like to use nontraditional media and we both have a very textural feel to our stuff.
And of course, we're both better known for more goofy stuff.

Endangered Species

I've only ever seen them in the zoo or on TV, with the exception of a Bald Eagle I once saw in the desert. *
But last night, one of these---->
got stuck between the screen and the sliding glass door. I thought it was a bat at first because it was almost 5 inches across! We took some pics and googled it, to find out that it was a rare endangered moth called a Luna Moth. Good thing we didn't smush it, because that would have been a federal offence. We gingerly took the screen door off it's runner and coaxed it onto the end of my pocket knife. We then released it back into the wild that is our back yard.
They are really beautiful. Mostly green with eye spots and purple edges, a white body, and huge, furry antennae.


In other news, we got Jackson a little floaty thing for use in the hot tub. He LOVES it! He kicks his little feet and splashes in the netting between the first and second inflatable rings. He seems to have a good time. And he looks really cute in it.


*I may have been halucinating

Sketchbook #5

Here is a doodle from my book:

It's a bomb. I thought about making the sticker read "Ishtar", but decided against it. If it could be printed accurately, I would love to do an entire comic in just ball-point pens and highlighters.

This past weekend, Jen's cousin Preston got married. We had a good time. The reception was at a place called Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse, and 'tis a magical place. The reception hall, which was above the main area, looked like any other reception, only with heraldic flags covering the windows.
outside was a giant wooden castle called Adventure Quest, offering:

Outwit mazes, beat obstacle courses, zoom down slides, and splash away at the water stream table in this enchanting three-story playland brimming with extraordinary outdoor activities. Built by the hands of more than 11,000 local volunteers, this impressive structure is sure to be your favorite outdoor activity.

We totally would have gone, had it not been for the torrential downpour occurring at the time.
I can't wait to take Jackson there once he gives a shit. Although it would involve actually going to Enid on purpose. I don't know if I could handle that.

boy howdee

So I watched my boy all day yesterday while Jenn went to a funeral. I had a great time. I didn't get to see him all last week, so it was good to have a whole day just to play. We baught him shoes and he went with me to the comic book store and the coffeeshop. The extremely attractive staff of Aspen Coffee Company were all a twitter about him, so (listen up here, Cody) I'm thinking of renting him out as girl bait. He's the in, you see. Then you can chat up the cute ladies, and you look like the type of responsible guy that people trust their kids with, even though I'll only be a half a block away with a pair of binoculars.

In other news, SXSW Media announced their blog awards last monday. I am really happy that postsecret won a huge heap of awards, because it is a truely awesome site.
I didn't win anything. I know you were all pulling for me, and I thank you all for your support, but I didn't win.

Have a look:

Schmatrix

I work with more that a few really overweight guys who like to wear leather trenchcoats and wear sunglasses with really small lenses. I know this is the norm in places like Germany, but around here it looks silly. Especially when you have just a t-shirt and grubby jeans on underneith. None of you are Keanu. None of you are even Lawrence Fishburn, though his physique is certainally closer to your own.

The Life Pursuit

A record review

If you listen to the entire catalog of Belle & Sebastian as I have done many times thanks to the ipod, no song sounds like the one next to it, though the band has a very distinct sound. The Life Pursuit is no exception. If they want to throw in a Blues song, or a bunch of techno beeps and boops, even nods to '70s AM radio, they feel free to do so with out any concern or care that they are straying from their "sound". They have become less cryptic and less morose as the years and constant line-up changes have gone by, but the music has not suffered for it. It has only gotten better. This is only the second album produced by an outsider, and you can tell that Tony Hoffer is letting others in the band besides Stuart Murdoch have a say in what gets done. The songs are more polished without sounding over-mixed. Unlike past albums, when a track starts off not as wonderful as I would like, it soon proves me wrong. Nothing is worth skipping over.

Dear Catastrophe Waitress heralded their exit from shy, reclusive melodrama to extroverted pop sensations, and this change worried some of the die-hards like myself. DCW tested the waters with one toe, but refused to jump all the way in, and I thought they might pull a Smiths on us, and languish in the shallows, flopping around until they finally died, only to be re-born as an over-cooked dinner. Was Morrissey great? Yes. As great as the Smiths? No fucking way. The Life Persuit has not only jumped in, but set up an undersea bio-dome ala Sealab, where they can live forever. This new found confidence has come with everything associated with it, including touring, radio appearances, and actually allowing interviews and public appearances, something that they rarely did in the past, adding to their mystique. This was a main reason why some of the fans cried foul, but the long awaited release doesn't justify the nail-biting. Every track can trace it's roots to an earlier incarnation, cementing the B&S "sound", but adding a lot as well. "Another Sunny Day" is a series of lyrical snapshots, and "Sukie in the Graveyard" is another in a long line of character studies. There are the standard meandering guitars and organ solos, poppy, happy drums, and backing vocals, along with the lyrics that always make your ears perk up, think: Did I really just hear that? All with Stuart's wonderful not-quite-whiney vocals that Colin Meloy hasn't yet mastered.

All in all a big Thumbs up from Jason.

Feb at my Job

So this---------->
Is how my calandar looked last month. As you can see, there is very little actual work penciled in there. If I had more work, I couldn't have done all these doodles, now could I? I like the Kong part. This month I'm thinking Dig Dug.
My mom came to visit and I had a birthday. Jackson turned 7 mo. old. Time flys, well sorta.
"The years go fast but the days go so slow," to quote Modest Mouse.
Here is something I noticed about how this society is a little weird. We all know about the ads during the Super Bowl, and many people tune in just for them, and that's fine. We all love witty ads, and sometimes we download them and watch them over and over, and then sometimes the ad takes on a life of it's own, and people forget what the ad was for in the first place. I saw the Superfriends version of the wassup ad before I saw the ad itself. But last night I kept seeing ads about a new X-Men 3 trailor that is going to be shown during 24 next week. And ad for an ad. That's taking it a little far. Do we really need commercials telling us when a commercial is going to be on? I guess it isn't that different from a press release about a product launch, just a little more blatant.
The really sad part about it is that I was really excited about the new trailor when I saw the ad for the trailor. I watch the old one every few days, anong with the Superman one.
I am a sad little nerd.

A Fine Weekend

So this past weekend I turned 31. Not a monumental birthday by any stretch. Not a milestone or anything. But I had a lovely weekend. My mom came down from DCD to hang out. She's mellowed out a lot, so that has eased the stress on us a lot.
On Friday we went to Benali's and ate some awesome Italian food. I was even serenaded by a very strange couple who were providing the live entertainment that night. Usually the chick from Rook is there with her violin(a crappy band, but she's a good violin player when roaming an eatery). They were called The Tempest Duo and I'm not sure they realized that a tempest is a sudden, destructive storm. Although that could be an accurate description of the music. An even more accurate description would be Trainwreak. The Guitar player was about 100 years old, and looked like the cardigan wearing art teacher you had back in grade school. The violin player was much younger and was clad in a pink double breasted suit coat from 1983. To set the mood of Italian-ness, (please pronounce in your head: EYE-tal-EE-an-ness) they stuck to traditional Irish folk with a few Sting covers thrown in. Between each song, they over-praised each other for several minutes in these low, monotone, smooth and smarmy NPR voices*. The food was really good, and Jackson flirted with the wait staff all night so we got really good service.
Saturday Cody came down and met us at the coffeeshop, where Jackson sucked in the caffeine by osmosis, and went crazy. He also flirted with all the girls, one-upping our poor, single Cody.

I then took Cody to see the Driller, Tulsa's only landmark, since he had already seen Six Flags Over Jesus. We ate yummy Indian food.
Sunday was spent in Stillwater. More coffee and baby activities for mom. Cody came down and we sat around yapping and ate barbecue.
Monday I took mom to the OKC, narrowly missing a giant accident on I-35, a brush fire, and weirdness at the airport.


On the way down there, we saw an SUV with a stencil on the side advertising Praise Moves: The Christian Alternative to Yoga.
Really? Is Yoga that much of a threat to Christianity? Laurette Willis explains that she was really into yoga and fitness until she gave herself to Christ in 1987. People usually don't go born-again until they hit rock bottom, but I have never heard of hitting it with exercise. Getting in shape by stress-relieving stretching is apparently warping the minds of Americans everywhere into believing in Hinduism and it's teachings of reincarnation.
"Sadly, this false teaching leads people away from the necessity for a Savior."
Whew! and I thought I was loosing fat, not my soul. Thank goodness for you, Laurette Willis!

I swear to god...

that this was not staged. I put Jack down on the bed while I folded laundry, and the animals just all showed up.
Notice how the cat, who came up there on her own, looks totally pissed about that decision. Yes Maggie is wearing a sweater. It was cold. Also not how Sadie is looking with extreme envy at said sweater.

Marie Antoinette

Weirdest trailer ever: ------>

I guess Marie Antoinette is partly responsible for a New Order, but it seems odd. Does contemporary music work in period pieces? Sometimes. A Knight's Tale? Yes, but that was essentially a comedy and the music was fun, no matter how bad the movie was(or how much I love it). Buch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Sure. The "raindrops" scene was one of the best in the movie, and it was only used that once. But then there's Orlando. DID NOT WORK. The scene at the end of a floating cherub singing Euro-synth pop just ruined what could have been a great adaptation of a Virginia Wolfe book. I guess it depends on the director. In the case of Marie Antoinette, it is Sophia Coppola, and I have to say that I like her as a Director. Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides were surprisingly well made. She has a great sense of pacing, taking her time getting to the point, and not beating you over the head like her father does. She's also great with awkward silences, making the viewer just as uncomfortable as the characters. But those two were small indy films, and more often than not, when you hand a really good indy director a big-budget Hollywood movie, they can get a little lost (Dune, anyone?). Sometimes they pull it off, like Robert Rodriguez and Quinten Tarantino did, although it took each of them a few tires. Jackie Brown was just plain horrible, and Soderburg did a much better job with the same Author's source material with Out of Sight, just a year later.
And I have to say that I am on the fence about Dunst. Mostly she's cardboard, but then Bring It On comes around and you have to give her props. (You know you love that movie, so shut up) But for every Bring It On, there is a The Cat's Meow, which got horrible performances out of the entire cast(Eddie Izzard as Charlie Chaplin: great casting, bad performance), so it might not be her fault. Spider-Man if fine because all she has to do is look mopey and scream. Who knows. Sophia got good work out of her before, so maybe she can do it again. Schwartzman is in it so it can't be all bad. I love that guy. How he snuck into Hitchhiker's guide is beyond me.

Victory!

I know all of you have been waiting anxiously, and it finally happened. I beat X-Men Legends. I got Magma to do her little thing and I got Wolverine to beat up a bunch of robots. I do have to say that Magneto went down a bit like a bitch for my taste, but it was 4 against 1.
Now I can spend time with my family again. Or start on one of the other games I got for Christmas, or go buy X-men Legends II. Though I think that purchase would have to come with a divorce lawyer.
Now onto the Olympics: I think 24 hour coverage both helps and hinders the Olympics. Back in the day, they were a prime time event only, and only the REALLY cool ones were shown. The rest you had to listed to on the radio, which you can't do now. There isn't even a webcast that I can find. If I want to know how the Hockey games are going from work, I have to check the website every 10 minutes instead of just listening to it live. When I get home, I have to watch a tape, and I usually already know the score, and that takes all the fun and energy out of it. Everybody loves the figure skating, I guess.
BTW (and this will make me sound sooo gay) did anybody see Sarah Hughes? I know she was only like 16 at the last Olympics, but man she put on some pounds! (she's still cute, tho!)
Not like I can talk. 2002.... I think I was just under 200 lbs. Now I am well above. Though I am working on that. I started a new regiment of more stimulants and less food and switching to whiskey instead of beer. Oh, and I joined the Stillwater Y, and it is exactly what you would think a small town Y would be like. I am also consciously eating a third less food. I hope all of this will get me to my target weight by the summer time. Not like I'm one for the beach or anything like that, I just realized one day that I'd like to be around for Jack's High school graduation, and to show up not looking like Gilbert Grape's mother.

The Alternative

Those of you who grew up in Denver in the late '80s/early '90s and were of the counter-culture subculture will remember Teletunes, a now defunct music video show that aired on PBS channel 12 on Sunday mornings. Sunday was a big day for us. For me, Teletunes replaced Dr. Who as the Sunday morning pajama viewing show once I figured out that cool music existed and that there were videos to go along with it. It later became a regular weekly hangover cure once I discovered drugs and alcohol. It was where I saw new videos that MTV just wouldn't play until 120 minutes came along, and 120 minutes only focused on bands that gained national popularity, thus defeating the purpose. Every once in a while they had a cool guest host or interview, as when Robert Smith hosted 120 minutes of Pure Cure on the eve of Wish's debut, but that was about it. Teletunes was local. Local VJs that you might see at Wax Trax, or better yet, knew personally, as was the case with Sean. Local bands and local music featured prominately, and they were the only ones to interview cool bands that came through town, as no good radio was ever around (KTCL and The Peak tried, but failed over time and were eventually bought out, and 1190 was barely audible most of the time due to low band width).
A Sunday morning spent on the couch in my undies working on that 3rd pot of coffee, smoking obscene amounts of cigarettes with no windows open, introducing my self to my roommate's one-night stand as they fled the apartment still in the goth dress from the night before, all while watching Peter Murphy run blindly through the woods or Morrissey run blindly through London are some of my fondest memories.
Now, I finally have a replacement. VH1 Classic (I feel so old) now offers a Sunday morning show entitled "The Alternative" that shows most of the vids I loved during my late teens and early 20s, when I had shitty apartments, 2nd hand furniture, a crappy job, died black hair, a leather jacket, and disposable income that went mostly to comics, concerts, illicit pharmaceuticals, and punk rock t-shirts. Now I watch while playing with my kid and cooking breakfast for my wife, but the feeling is the same. I still drink 3 pots of coffee, I still smoke too much(though out on the deck of my awesome house that I own, and has decent furniture), I still have weird T-Shirts.
And although Morrissey and Peter Murphy are now too old to run blindly anywhere, at least I know that they once could.


PS- Jackson seems to be fond of Renegade Soundwave and Thrill Kill Kult. I still don't know if that is good or bad.

Re-envisioning

So I made this ----->
As an ad for my silly job. I make these all day long, and this one was on a pretty obscure portion of our site. I thought nothing of it after I sent it off to the programmer like my second week here.



The other day, I notice this---->
On the Chinese version of our site. They got this product months after we did, which means they made their little image way later. It is possible that there are only so many ways that one can show visually the concept of sound coming out of a little speaker thing, and it should come as no surprise when similar ways come about. But I'd like to think that since this is the same product from the same company, whoever made the Chinese version was poking around our site to see what we did and followed suit. This means that something I have made has been taken, reinterpreted, expanded upon and remade. That fills me with an enormous sense of pride as an artist. Intellectually, however, I am filled with pity for myself that a silly web image on a Chinese website blew my skirt up so much.

Such it is to be an artist.

Spider Monkey

I made this for my comics page, though I'm not sure where to put it. Maybe in the header. I swiped the idea from R Stevens and his awesome Diesel Sweeties web comic. It you haven't read it, you should. He's funny and there are lots of jokes about pron stars getting it on with robots. That sounds a lot less tasteful that it actually is. His site also got me into Scary go Round as well. SGR is a little bit all over the place but the eventual jokes and witty one-liners more than make up for it.
I added something to NGV5 today that I have never added before: color. I shall use it sparingly, so don't worry. Steve will still be steve, though he and Tonto are getting new outfits. If there is a music performer you'd like to see included in there some where, let me know, and I'll work 'em in. There will be a few spots where I'll need it.
Enjoy.

Then I just sorta zone out..

This----->

Is how I spend at least part of my day. Constantly doodling on either my calandar or in my sketch book. This one isn't very full because HR didn't pass them out until halfway through the month. It's nice because it looks like I'm writing something really deep, or actually working, but then I just have a little drawing of a guy biting a hang nail when I'm done. The rest of the time I'm on the computer blogging or reading web-comics. I'm not lazy. When there's work to be done, I'm doing it. I actually hate it when I have an unfinished project just sitting there. But when I clear my projects, I go back to doodling. It's sad in a way.. I think I must think in doodles... A doodlegraphic memory ala Strong Bad.

Bob Slydell: If you would, would you walk us through a typical day, for you?

Peter Gibbons: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door--that way Lumberg can't see me, heh--after that I sorta space out for an hour.

Bob Porter: Da-uh? Space out?

Peter Gibbons: Yeah, I just stare at my desk, but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch too, I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.

Addict personalities

So there are two new television addictions in the Powers household. One is this---->

Meet the Barkers is one in a long line of celebreality shows with the theme of "Let's see what white people do with a shitload of money" I'm not really a fan of Travis' band or any of the mediorchre TV series Shanna was on, but I wasn't a fan of Nick or Jessica either, and that show was like crank. Travis has a hell of a temper and is really anal about everything he does. He's a white suburban California punk without Green day's clout. He spends most of his time while not on tour working out, abusing his weird personal assistant, pulling up his ill fitting pants, and drinking Gatorade. Shanna is a spoiled southern belle who was once Miss America or something. Really all she did the first season was sleep and spend her husband's money. This season, she's pregnant, yet somehow taking a bigger interest in acting, trying to get a pilot launched, and developing the women's side of Travis' clothing company - Famous Stars and Straps. None of this she's very good at, and Travis usually has to bail her out with the checkbook. This all sounds horrible, but what saves it is that these two who have no idea what to do with their money end up spending it on really expensive yet touching and corny displays of affection. The sky-writers, the mountains of roses and balloons, the insane birthday parties, the $175,000 Cadalliacs. All mixed with lovey-dovey smooching and hugging, and terms of endearment like 'oofa woofa'. These two really love each other and since they have nothing else to talk about, that's all they talk about. It is fun to see Travis snap and to see Sahnna ruin things through sheer ditseyness. That's why Nick and Jessica failed: Jessica started learning things.


The other is this---------->

#1 Single is about Lisa Loeb trying to find love in this topsey-turvey world of ours. I never really cared for lisa's music, but this show has shown a different side of her. The side that collects Hello Kitty and Gnome figurines and that likes to cook, but isn't very good at it. She's decided that after two six year relationships that went nowhere, it is time to find "The One" and settle down, start pumping out babies and become a cool indy-rock-mom ala Susanne Vega and Liz Fair. She enlists the help of her family, and the fact that her sisters are blonde busty bombshells who were in the same sorority, adds to the fun. They are the ones who can find a sensitive metrosexual that really gets her. The first piece of advise is to get some sexier clothes because "guys like clothes they can imagine taking off you." The only reason I care is that I find her so damn cute. She's just the type I would have gone after and acted all awkward around until she dumped me because I'm to awkward-y around her. Plus she hangs out with people like Adam Goldberg who I totally love. The first episode saw her decide that there just wasn't anybody worthy in Los Angeles and deciding to move back to New York, where Adam thinks he may have a fella for her.

I hate that TV does this to me.

Neutral Grey Value Five

This---->

Is a series I did back in the day. I am resurrecting it for new fans. There were two big issues and a bunch of smaller stories in other comics like End of the Line, Earth: City Limits and The Pablo's Comics Evtravaganza. I had a lot of help on these from my brother Jeff and Stephan Donohue, so much thanks! You can find the first issue here:

http://ngv5.blogspot.com/

Start at the bottom and you can click the pages to read them bigger. Keep in mind that these were made over 10 years ago when I was a struggling art student and caffeine addict (among other things). This was from a time when there were 8 - 10 comics guys that would spend late nights at various coffeeshops drawing and ignoring girlfriends, family and schoolwork to draw and self publish mountains of comics. Most of us have real jobs now and families of our own. Thankfully the web-comic explosion had created a new more fluid outlet for people like me who want to work, but don't have the time or energy to self-publish anymore.

Issue two will be up as soon as possible then you get new stories as I make them! The style will be vastly different, as I am 10 years older and wiser now. The new one has giant slugs and zombies!

enjoy.

Where's Cy(rus)

So, a lot of attention lately in the netherverse known as the internet has been attached to this little fella. It is not a joke, or a manipulated photo. It is a one-eyed, kitten with no nose, who lived for only one day. His brother, the only other kitten in the litter was perfectly healthy, reminding me of the movie "Twins" for some reason. It has a very "Li'l Brudder" feel to it as well.

And after a flurry of people could not believe their eyes and new how to send emails started calling bullshit, it was confirmed by snopes, your source for confirming or denying urban myths here:
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/cyclopes.asp

Cy the Kitten, then started to gain cult celebrity status and was popping up everywhere.

Questionable Content.com----->

Featured on a t-shirt of one of the main characters, then as a live journal icon:

Diesel Sweeties--------------->







And in fine art interpretations:

Boing Boing------>

You get the idea. Strange that people would rally behind a freak. This society seems to love freakyness and mutations as long as it doesn't involve an adult human. Example: Ewoks. Cute and cuddly, they walk, talk, they have barbecues. An adult human covered in fur, with a doggy nose: No fucking way. Put it under a circus tent. Blame it when kids go missing, follow it with torches and pitchforks. Run it out of town. Unless it's a midget. Small things seem to br 'cuter' for some reason. Normal sized altoids tin: mundane. Teeny tiny altoids tin: cute. I can't figure that one out. Somehow Clifford the dog squeaks by that one. Maybe due to his 'antics'.

Einstein?

This-------->

Almost made me fall out of my chair at work and get fired for not working. Now I am posting while at work, so don't tell. The Onion is the greatest thing ever.

A Fine Weekend

This----------->

Can now be safely posted without prying eyes possibly finding it. Robin and I threw Jen a surprise party this past weekend. We had a good time. She knew nothing, until the idiot crossed-eyed concierge blabbed that her sister was there when we checked into the hotel. Joey and Laura driving up from Austin was a complete shock. (kudos, BTW) We had a good time. We met a really weird cab driver who took us on every back road possible to get to bricktown. He was convinced it was faster because Bon Jovi was playing at the stadium and the traffic would be horrible. He was right. We ate some really good Mexican food and Jen's dad sent a very good bottle of wine to the table from his comfortable chair back in Tulsa. I think technology is wonderful.

We got pretty drunk at the Piano bar (at least I did) and we had to fend off raving Jovi fans loudly singing that they were indeed living on a prayer. A lot of people showed up, and someone brought cupcakes and we had the flakiest waitress ever. We were still pretty tipsy, so I guess she wasn't that bad.

Begs showed up in a corset straight from the fetish ball, and provided the entertainment for the second half of our stay at the bar. We stayed up till four in the morning chatting and drinking more in the hotel, and slept really well for about 5 hours. In the morning, or plans to sample "The big Bevberger" at Beverly's Pancake House, were thwarted by ancient church goers and two large groups of what I assume were cheerleading squads. Instead we ended up at Madison's Pancake House, which had an equal amount of really old church goers but no cheerleaders and the wait seemed just as long. The food was "meh" and there was no "big madburger", though in these days of mad cow disease, I couldn't really blame them. Then we drove to Tulsa to get the boy, who actually slept through the night and took a bottle, both rarities, and ate din-din with the parents. We then drove back to Stillwater, and almost fell over. A fine weekend!

Thanks to everybody who helped, drove a great distance, wore a corset, or just showed up. You all rock!

I think They're Staging a Coup

Terrorism can take many forms!

Green Bean Sentinels

I got three games for "Holiday". NHL Hockey, The Incredibles, and this------->

I have yet to crack open the other two because I am totally addicted to this game. I am pretty picky about my games. I don't usually play too often, and when I do, I want it to be really fun. This one could easily become a thorn in Jennifer's side, as I will ignore her and Jack while playing, and I'm taking up the good TV.

In other news, Jack has declared a jihad on green beans. In the Fatwa he released to the press last week, he stated that all green beans must henceforth relocate to the floor of the kitchen, with some being allowed small settlements on mommy's jeans, on her shirt and in her hair. Any and all attempts to enter Jackson's head will be met with swift force and a cry of "GaaauuuooooOOOOO!!"

That is all.

Reflections on 2005

This one was up there. One of the most eventful and roller-coasterish years of my life.
Random thoughts:

In 2005 I:
-Turned 30
-quit a pretty good job
-took a really shitty job
-got fired from that job
-spent almost 3 months unemployed while my pregnant wife supported me.
-landed the best job I've ever had.
-had a really freaky experience watching my son get born
-became a father
-started a blog
-was glad that the rest of the world realized that an all-bacon diet is not healthy.
-watched two marriages destroy themselves
-watched a serial bachelor fall in love and propose
-quit smoking
-gained almost 40 lbs
-started smoking again
-lost 10 of that 40 lbs
-was angered by my president on an almost daily basis
-got addicted to the message boards on the IMDB
-took Jackson on a plane
-bought a new house (twice the size of my old one and the nicest place I have ever lived)
-sold my old house (I actually had to pay $56.00)
-moved to an even smaller town. (I have gone from a town of 4 million to 300,000 to 50,000 in 4 years)
-realized how much I miss being in a town of 4 million
-sold a car and bought 2
-have returned to college levels of sleep, though without substance abuse to help me out
-have not had a decent haircut
-bought more music than in the past 5 years
-saw two friend's bands gain popularity at an alarming rate
-saw a huge weight lifted off my brother's back
-took more photographs and shot more film (of Jack, nach) than ever before
-have yet to make a new friend in my new town
-did not find a suitable place to have Jack christened
-watched three very close friends become first time parents within a few weeks of myself
-got addicted to Arizona iced green tea
-have lost touch with my favorite hockey team
-got a subscription to Entertainment Weekly
-stubbed my toe about a hundred times
-did not do one illegal drug the whole year ( I usually sneak in at least one)
-started to pay attention to commercials that offer something cool for babies
-started watching the Backyardigans on a regular basis
-realized that even though I have never been a violent man, I could easily kill somebody when it came to the safety of my child
-read more novels than in any previous year
-created art less than in any previous year
-realized just how strong my wife can be
-realized just how weak I can be
-every vote I cast went the other way
-realized that I cared more about the animals than the people in any one of the many natural disasters including Katrina
-realized that science has no place in a red state
-saw Episode III and was only mostly disappointed
-bought more stuff on line than ever before
-did not pass out on new year's eve (I think I'm 10 for 30 now)

This next yet will be a little more settled I hope. Jack will keep growing like a weed and we will get better at parenting. I will lose the other 30 lbs, and work hard at my job. Jack will probably enter a preschool or a teaching day care of some sort, and it will freak me out. My dogs will continue to shit on the carpet and the cat will keep shedding on my best clothes. The republicans will lose seats in the congressional elections and a little balance will be brought to the world.

I will get a good haircut.

End of Year

This------------------------------>
Just makes me laugh.

The holidays are almost over. Jack made out like a bandit, and doesn't even realize it. All he knew on Holiday was that things were bright and shiny and that it was okay to shovel massive amounts of wrapping paper into his mouth.

He got loads of clothes and toys, and Jen and I got cash and gift cards. I cannot think of a better Christmas.

To all of you wondering where the hell the Christmas card or gift are, please remember that we are new parents and a little distracted, which means we are broke and tired and just didn't get around to it. We love you anyway. Do you really need a card to prove it? If so you are a shallow, shallow friend.

Non-demoninational Holiday

This --------------------------->
Will sicken you with cuteness.
Don't say I didn't warn you.

So, the holidays are here. I suppose you could say they have been here since Turkish Day, and they we are in the thick of it.
I am excited for wee Jack to see his first Christmas. He doesn't know why, but he's really excited. The coming years will be even more fun, as he will learn about the mystical Amazon who will deliver packages for weeks leading up to Dec. 25th, and then again for a little while after that. "why doesn't The Amazon deliver all on one day like Santa?" he will ask. "Because The Amazon doesn't have a magic sleigh, and has to rely on UPS," I will tell him. "But The Amazon does have elves. Clad in dark brown shorts and named Malone, but elves nonetheless," If the creators of this holiday had envisioned what the mail-order industry would become, they would have tailored their story to include it, and it would have helped out parents the whole world over. And there wouldn't be the awkward few years where belief slips away. The Amazon will deliver forever. Perhaps we could all band together, and slowly change the tradition to include The Amazon. We could get the UPS elves' union to agree (for a fee) to hold all packages, and deliver them all on Christmas day. This could eliminate the kids finding their presents hidden away in the bottom of a closet, or as my mom did, in the trunk of her car. They would have to rely on their hacking skills and crack into Dad's email instead. It would also add the the fun of opening a shipping package and the wrapped present. Oh what fun!
Who's with me?

Lies! All Lies!

This------------------------>
Is Jackson with Santa. It is a weird thing to decide to lie to your kid for years on end. Setting yourself up for the eventual time when the kid figures it out, and then you have a bunch of backpedleing to do. I suppose that just like buying a pet that you know you will outlive (unless it is a turtle), the good times and fun will far out weigh the time spent at the funeral. In my case, there was never a big deal, it just sort of trailed off. I remember figuring it out when I realized that Santa had the exact same handwriting as my mother.

It did have ramifications involving my religious beliefs. After finding out about Santa and the Easter Bunny, God and Jesus didn't stand a chance. At least the other two stopped by once a year and gave me something.


Jack did seem to enjoy his outfit however.

Nuthin'!

We got nuthin' !
Sure it got cold, but the storm passed to the east of Stillwater, and for the most part we got very little snow. Sad, The residents here still have no idea how to deal, and the most dangerous part of driving is the other drivers, who should just stay home if they are going to act like that.

Random Thoughts:

This------------->
Is a random pic of the D. I like it, so I'm sharing it with you.

"You can catch more flies with honey..."

I have no idea how that ends.

As a child, for some reason, I always wanted a pet rabbit. I don't know why, and it was never a deep desire. I just thought it might be kind of cool. Then, in my mid 20s, some friends of mine had rabbits that they kept in a cute little pen in their back yard, and I decided to go check it out. I realized that they don't really 'play' and that they smell awful. Not ferret bad, but bad. That small desire left my system, and I got a fish instead.

Bundle-fly

This--------------->
Is coming our way. It is to be the coldest air and the meanest storm Oklahoma has seen in over a decade.

amateurs!

Just as those up north are overly terrified of tornadoes, The southern states are scared of snow. Oklahoma gets both and can't deal with either. All competing weather systems seem to butt heads right over OK, allowing for really freaky storms that last about two minutes. When I moved here almost three years ago, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to enjoy the snow and cold that I love so much. Three weeks after we moved, a giant blizzard hit the state, shutting down half the infrastructure, closing schools and offices for three days. I was happy. It hasn't really snowed since. We'll see how this one turns out.

The first time I went to Austin to visit friends, it was in the last week of August. A wee bit warm for my tastes. Here is a conversation I had while watching the news one day:

Weatherman: The temperature is 101, but the heat index is 120!
Me: What the hell is the "heat index"
Beth: Well, because of the humidity, it feels hotter than it actually is.
Me: Oh, like the wind-chill factor.
Beth: The what?