Whitechapel - Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T15:29:52-08:00

Merry Xmas.

Last Saturday Night Open Mic of the year. Tell me what you're doing, tell me what you're planning, tell me how your week went. Speak now.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T15:54:17-08:00

That image just doesn't seem to get old.

Trying to breach the avalanche of work to be done before the end of the year. I want to start my year with tons of projects lined up in a neat and organized row so they can easily be handled by my ~~gullible schmucks~~ awesome teammates.
I just played the game Braid last night and it's irritating in how it's quite similar to a videogame project I'd thought up, only more awesome. Going back to the drawing board to make sure I'm putting out something unique and entertaining. On the plus side, my favourite 8bit musician (and this isn't biased because he's been my friend for the past decade) moved into my neighborhood last week and played me a little bit of the score he's been composing for the game and it's definitely lighting a match under my ass. I want this game to get made if just so I can hear what those 10 notes grow up to be.

In the meantime, it's resenting social engagements because they're GETTING IN MY WAY and smoking the good cigarettes.

Tonight I'm watching Pratchett's Hogfather as the beginning of a yuletide tradition.

This is what I look like with an oversized moustache

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T15:55:57-08:00

Uh, sorry. Still gobsmacked and near speechless from the pic.

But my week was more like his than theirs.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:00:03-08:00

Tell me what you're doing
It is a nerd weekend for me. I have a new gaming machine built and I'm currently loading things and tweeking Windows 7. I also plan to see Tron tomorrow as I've always been a huge fan, even if it is a rather horrible story.

tell me how your week went
I'm coming to a head in trying to figure out whether my employers are hellishly incompetent or just think I will tolerate anything because the economy is horrible and people are desperate for work. I'll know by end of next week...

tell me what you're planning
I'm planning a trip to New Zealand by the end of next year. I may even try to move there, dependent on employment and the gravel in my gut. I'm told it is not easy to gain citizenship there, but few things worthwhile are easy to obtain. It was brought on after I mentioned it and they sent me this picture(It's rather large, so I'm only making a linky) I thought "Why not?" So we'll see if it's just a month away for the States or something more substantial.

And the obligatory Photo. Good evening, Whitechapel...

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:02:22-08:00

Doing: I'm exhausted, and feeling even more anti-social than usual. So, I'm sitting around the house on a gloomy Oregon afternoon. Might go for a walk. Might finish watching The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford. (Which seems great so far. I DVRd it months ago, and yeah, it took that Yogi Bear parody for me to get around to watching it.)

Planning: Getting ready for a Visit with family, and hopefully friends, next week. Dreading some sibling rivalry crap, and the effort of looking up old friends, one of whom is really ill and depressed. Am I stressing them out and screwing up their schedules by suggesting a visit? Oye.

But you know, the whole Planes, Trains, and Automobiles thing has in the past proven to be an effective way of forcing me into Reading Mode. I'll be taking some graphic novels and anthologies with me.

Week went: Stressful. I've been working against a deadline that turned out to be . . . flexible. So I've been busting my butt and filling out status reports for . . . well, not nothing, but it would have been nice to have known that I could have taken more time off this fall. As it is, I'm losing a few vacation days come the end of the year. This is my fault, for being such a diligent Type A beaver.

And then there's the holiday shopping thing. Entirely self-imposed, since I could have gotten away with greeting cards and gift certificates.

I'm in a slightly better mood than the above suggests.

I did get something done today, finishing this Flick set about making fudge.

There's something wonderfully alchemical about pouring coffee liquor into a pot of boiling butter and marshmallows. You can see the vapor boiling off that stuff. I bet I could have lit it on fire, and the smell would have been heavenly.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:20:22-08:00

@StefanJ

That looks like the sweetest napalm ever created right there...

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:21:41-08:00

Tell me what you're doing: I am working on finally piecing together issue 4 of my magazine as work, school, and shiny objects have distracted me from doing so earlier. Ah the days of a year ago when I thought I would be able to do 6 of these things by now. Sigh.

Also I am wondering if there will be anything exciting or fun tonight outside of watching either Supernatural, Boardwalk Empire, or Soul Eater. Wondering more if this won't also be how I ring in the New Year... so generally I am trying to get work done to fight off any depression. It's cheaper then alcohol.

tell me what you're planning: I am planning on finishing up the two big projects of this year, the aforementioned magazine, and my web show Zombie Conversational so I can prepare for some new things. I'm also planning on spending the week between holidays that are free from job to do a simple comic by myself, I now have a working scanner and art supplies I can do something I am sure. Other than that, I plan to poke at artist friend to finish working on the script I gave her a few weeks ago, finish up new script for her, find a new job, and come up with new film ideas. This year I accomplished a good amount, but I want next year to make this one look like practice for bigger and better things.

tell me how your week went: there was a lot of snow and ice. So much damn ice that I got two days off from work, which is good because I do not like my job, but bad for I like the monies job gives me. Monday oddly enough gave me a single day that I felt proud to be working as a paralegal, I wrote a great response to a motion the asshole opposition threw our way, and I did it all myself, without any legal training or knowledge. We also won that motion and two others I wrote on this week which makes me feel even better. If everyday there was like Monday I wouldn't complain one bit, sadly my boss is insane and lazy. Oh also I finished finals this week, very simple, no school for nearly three months.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:31:24-08:00

Evening there Warren

AS i'm typing this Sigga is trying out our new 1Tb Media Centre Hard Drive with episodes of Dangerous Housewives. At last we now have a storage area for all of my DVD box sets and obscure 80s TV programmes and films. She also told me my Xmas present. A years subscriptions to wire magazine. While that doesn't sound christmassy, Wire costs about £9 an issue in Iceland, so its fair to say that she's being a bit canny by getting me this.

thankfully the hell of Christmas engagements and parties are more or less done with and we're now waiting until Wednesday so we can fly to the UK to spend a week at my mums place. Ahh civilisation, with proper food (sausages) and something to do on boxing Day. and Snow. It's bloody freezing in Reykjavik, but there is no snow at all! the UK seems to stolen it all. Bastards.

Also by being my general cool self, i have now officially patched things up with my Father in Law after not being on speaking terms with him for nearly 6 months. It would take far too long to go into the whys and hows on here, but it was causing a lot of tension an melodrama amongst Siggas siblings. But they now all think i'm great and wise and stuff. Suckers.

I've also agreed to take on a third job, which i may have done while out drinking last night. After the new year i will be... a doorman at my local bar! I hope they know what they are letting themselves in for as everything i know about being a doorman i learnt from "Roadhouse"....

I just have a couple of small music reviews to do before Monday and that will be me for this year. And it certainly has been a strange one.

Everybody be cool y'all.....

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:33:05-08:00

I'm currently relaxing, about to play a few games of League of Legends, then do some reading (working thru Stieg Larsson's trilogy).

my week... well, the last couple weeks have been plagued with on/off tire issue on my car - first they claimed it was corrosion, then rim, tonight they found a tiny little nail, that "barely" pierced the tire. I wish i lived somewhere I didn't need the damn thing. on the upside, friends took me to Tron:Legacy last night. You already know how the film goes, it was still fun. Grabbed the soundtrack and that's quite good actually.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:35:28-08:00

Tell me what you're doing:
I'm at work, (as usual), on my lunch break. Last day of the quarter, starting tomorrow, I actually get to have one half of the weekend off! Get to spend time with my ladyfriend. She moves in this spring, and things are looking good.

tell me what you're planning
Bought a Wii Fit recently, seems to be the only thing that motivates me to exercise, and mostly by guilting me into it and humiliating me for being overweight. It works. Planning on losing at least 5lbs every month to start, and see how it goes from there. I'm on a good start.

tell me how your week went
Woke up this morning with sex. Can't beat that.

Also, sent out Christmas packages this morning, since I won't be seeing any family or even my daughter until after holdiays are over.

Recently aquired free VIP tickets to see Flogging Molly. Ever since I stumbled in on a free show they were playing in a bar at a Crystal Method concert back in '96, I've been a fan. It'll be nice seeing them for free again. Taking as many friends as I can drag along.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:37:06-08:00

This last week was alright. Lots of time with family, which has been largely pleasant for a change recently, and got to spend the day with a really great friend of mine yesterday. Tomorrow is more family stuff, a somewhat annual christmas event about an hour away. My father will be driving me, my little brother, and his girlfriend there and back. Therefore I will drink all of their alcohol.

Tonight I have to finish up some christmas postcards to mail out monday. Probably wont reach anyone by christmas, but whatever. I tried D:<

So long 2010. I hope 2011 is more awesomer.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:41:45-08:00

Was woken up in the middle of the night by an unbearable pain in my lower back. It's stayed with me, so I didn't get much done today, other than read and watch dvds. There was snowing of apocalyptic dimensions earlier, so I would have stayed in anyway, I suppose. Probably would have done something other than going from the bed to the couch all day, though...I didn't feel all that bad about it, I have to say. Finished a track with which I was really happy last night, so I didn't feel a lot of pressure today. Had a bit of time to study for my PhD, as well. Shouldn't be complaining really.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:46:51-08:00

It's all a chaotic mix of OK and FUBAR at the moment. I don't quite know whether I'm coming or going anywhere. There's snow outside. I'm supposed to be stacking shelves in a supermarket for three days next week. The Inland Revenue have sent me a large sum of money in overpaid tax, which I wasn't expecting and am very happy about, given that I've been spending money like water over the last few weeks. It's a kind of get out of jail card. I have to be incredibly disciplined not to go and blow it on a new Fender Jag. Am also watching some thing on Discovery about two guys doing up a Triumph Stag, and am starting to lust after a classic car...

But work's been hell, am way behind where I should be, will get quite heavy after Christmas, I'm fairly depressed and my partner seems to be too... Eldest daughter hasn't had a good time in her first term at her new school, have a sense her teacher is trying to knock her down all the time - apparently she was told 'you might think you're the cleverest in the school but it means nothing if you can't work in a group', I agree she needs to learn to collaborate better, but Christ, I had a teacher pull some shit like that with me when I was about 12 and it killed my confidence totally for the next 10 years. She's also really struggled to make friends. I worry about her, not sure what to do without making it worse.

If I can get through next week, and if the snow holds off, we'll be in the Cotswolds for Christmas with my parents and sister. Which will be nice. If the snow carries on, we'll be stuck here, which won't be quite as cool...

Have a wonderful whatever it is you'll all do...

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T16:47:55-08:00

Hello Warren

Currently ruminating a review of 2010 and slowly realising I lost all the superawesome self confidence I had gained right after my stroke. Where did it go? No clue. Why did it leave? No clue either.
It's like I was a fucking ray of sunshine for quite a while and poof, gone.
Would fix this with a 6 months sleep if I could, but I can't.
Luckily I hate feeling that down - I even hate talking about it right now - so i know I'll fix this. 2011 sounds good.
For now, sleep.

Merry xmas y'all.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T17:12:10-08:00

Good evening,
Doing - Currently having an existential crisis. Happiest I have been all week as I am thinking... Inspired by being exposed to some great questioning of the relationship between fictional characters & their creators, something I'm interested in & amusingly, with life imitating art, it's a very similar topic to the one I was writing about earlier today. Fictional constructs, reality. The role of the reader, and how far (or how sweetly) that is manipulated.
Week - Busy, cold, oceans of snow fell and life has just been full of conflict, people's ego's, wading through everyone else's stress levels, highlight was spending time with a dear friend yesterday, yet shit as her mother is battling cancer. I sat and watched 'It's A Wonderful Life' earlier this evening with Tyra, sobbing into her fur, that film is worth six months therapy. Started a tmblr blog, got pissed off about ethics, Assange and the apathetic lack of decent journalism. Failed at communicating.
Planning - I haven't sorted out New Year's Eve yet and am not the least bit bothered this year. I'll deal with it the day before. I plan champagne and getting drunk, the context and surroundings are the variables. My planning energy is all tied up in writing. Do intend to see Catfish, if the snow melts. Sometimes plans are the best way of ensuring things go wrong. I'd like to plan not to screw up, but that won't happen. See - no point in planning.

Sunday morning edit:
MERRY XMAS everyone. Sorry for being utterly miserable last night - hope you all have a great holiday season however you celebrate.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T17:18:33-08:00

Merry Christ!! Mas (Sorry, Glukkake made me do it.)
Anyways. mixed week here. Nothing exciting to report. Reorganzing the studio, getting shit ready for Xmas... Tonight I am working, and have a terrific headache, and have had 4 hours of sleep. I shall go sit in the house living room, and read Ship Breaker, and hope no one goes into crisis. Hope I can get a little more sleep tonight and get rid of this headache. My only plans at this point involve sleep and lots of it. And redoing my kitchen next month.
And, oh yeah, look like I'll be missing the lunar eclipse Mon night/Tues morning., since it'll be snowing her. Bleah.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T17:24:37-08:00

Started a new job, got the best apartment I've ever had (it comes with a labrador retriever), and listed my childhood on eBay as part of my move-out. It's going for a good price, but I'm happier that it's going to people who are going to really love it.

I'm wearing a Santa hat and eating Jameson whisky truffles. Life's alright tonight. Still restless, still hungry, still angry, but yeah: merry christmas, or whatever's lighting your nights.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T17:40:48-08:00

Hello Mr Internet Batman, hello fellow cohorts and miscreants.

First week of unemployment finished and in that time I was interviewed (and attended a second interview) for a job as a Marketing Assistant... which I turned down. Shit hours, shit annual leave entitlement, shit pay packet, shit industry. As soon as I found out the hours I tried to grab a higher wage to no avail. I'm not going to grab the first job that comes along just because it's convenient. I can spend some time sniffing out a job that I actually want.

I got a few leads from a freelancer about possible layout/design work. I'll follow those up next week. Hopefully 2011 will be better than this shitty year. Nothing would make me happier than working from home and earning exorbitant amounts of money. We'll see how that turns out.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T17:55:49-08:00

Day 12 of the Flupocalypse. Not nearly as exciting as I thought it might be. That, combined with lack of sleep, has pretty much resulted in complete lack of productivity or drive to do anything. If it's the same thing I had in September, it took 3 weeks to work through that one.

A friend sent me a bottle of this:

...Which I pretty much can't touch until my body can properly appreciate it again. I'm going to be really annoyed if I can't tap that by NYE.

That's about the most exciting thing going on with me right now (not that Single Malt Scotch isn't exciting). Well, I've got a custom brush pack that I'm putting out for free for Photoshop, but that's waiting until I'm actually feeling productive enough to finish out the tutorial, so that probably doesn't count.

I would kill for a good burger right now.

Thanks for the congregation space, Warren.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T18:06:33-08:00

It's been raining for a couple days and I tuned in my Nujabes station on Pandora in hopes of listening to some trippy sampling from the likes of MF Doom, DJ Krush, People under the Stairs, etc. But it's pulling from a somewhat more R&B corner of hiphop. }:/ drowning it out is my mom yelling at my BB. Comes down to he's a spoiled git and I'm with her on the yelling. Problem is, because *she* trained him to be a spoiled git the yelling is fairly pointless. Y'all think you might know someone who is fundamentally incapable of realizing he's done something wrong, but my BB takes the fucking cake. Piss... I don't want to talk about that.

Reset: It's raining. It's a week before Christmas. I'm broke. It's been mostly quiet around the house, but it's getting noisier because mom is now on vacation and people are getting into the holiday tizzy of shopping and parties etc. [Pause for phone call with friend. That was nice. Committed to giving her a ride, but I miss her and can hang tomorrow with cool peeps. Could be far worse.] So as I said I'm broke, and there are holiday events. I live far from them and I drive a gas guzzler and, oh yeah, gas prices are spiking. Really, really not sure how I'll fit everything in to the third of a tank of gas and remaining $5 I have.

I keep going back and forth with classes, workshops, coaching and demo sessions for getting a move on with putting together the ground work for voice work. Not sure what is the best avenue, everyone insists *their* class or workshop or whatever is the best/most important. I can't begin to pay for any of it but my mom will help. And I feel like such a heel that this is the way it's gotta go. I'm practically middle aged for fuck's sake. So if I can't even wipe my own ass without help then I have simply got to make sure this business gets done in the most efficient way possible. *shoves down yet another panic attack*

Party tonight. Good peope, good everything, particularly excellent whiskey. Of course I have to slalom through aforementioned rain and of course holiday traffic, which is always severe. So the party is the reward for not dying. At least I have some wine I can offer so I don't show up empty handed. And maybe I can even think of how to answer "so what have you been up to" that won't make me sound like the lazy bloodsucking jerk that I am in the hour and a half it'll take me to drive there.

Oh also, shocked & amazed that Don't Ask don't Tell was finally repealed. It's a bummer that the Dream act failed, but my cynicism of the Senate such that I started today assuming both would be voted down. So I'll whatever victory I can find.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T18:16:24-08:00

Doing: Trying to stay caught up with everything. And not go broke from the presents/bills/etc.

Planning: Surviving Christmas is a start. I'm fairly certain that I'm not going to get any of my personal projects until after the new year sometime.

How week went: Generally good. Went to a tea party at my neighbors. Ate at a vague relative's today. This morning my mom and I watched some guys scramble to get back on land after setting up for ice fishing much too early in the season. Apparently the lake freezes over nightly and then during the day the ice breaks up and is pushed by the wind until the ice has frozen over sufficiently to stay where it is. And it's only been freezing over for a week or two by now. Other than that, it's been quiet.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T18:20:55-08:00

Recovering from a nasty case of the flu which knocked me on my arse for four days that I'm combating with an aggressive course of antibiotics.

I feel like a bloody zombie, and I haven't been able to write or draw in days. Pisses me off no end.

I would kill for a glass of single malt whiskey right about now.

Fuck, I would kill for a few hours of bloody lucidity:(

*edited for clarity

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T18:27:53-08:00

I got a whole point to myself in SFX Magazine's "Fantastic Four Reboot" wishlist. So I did a lap of honour around Fobidden Planet* because now thousands of people have the opportunity to see in print that I want demented spectacle and space gods in funny hats.

* not really.

Compliments of the season!

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T18:30:58-08:00

Made tons of cookies today with the wife, ate a ton of sushi for dinner. The semester is finished, so I'm going to spend some time this weekend catching up on some Thomas Dolby related concepting work for a really cool subproject that I want to share with you, but just can't right now. Story of this year for me, but I certainly could have worse problems to deal with.
Here's my official holiday card, filled with manifesto and right angles and Constructivist energy. Have a good holiday season, all. Hugs to all, more to some!

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T18:34:19-08:00

oh my god, guys. the last 24 hours have been a bumper crop of awesome. i got a new personal best in tetris, and my first ever pair of combat boots, and the most amazing present-from-a-sister ever, and unexpected praise for some recent work i did, and it's not even 10pm.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T19:09:36-08:00

I had an eye problem recently. Seems to have cleared up but still.

My sister got in contact with the family for the first time in twelve years (? Might be a bit more) so that's ... um ... interesting. When asked what I would say to her when I finally saw her, my answer was "Where the hell were you?" What else can one say?

Happy Festival Time or whatever. I'm off to get DRUNK and I'm so not joking. Peace out, y'all.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T19:21:30-08:00

I had a good week. I bought a car, I turned 31, and I drank some good beers.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T19:25:52-08:00

Doing: just got home from watching Tron and Walk Hard
Planning: to see Tron Legacy in 12 hours
Week went: smooth. The only thing of note that I did was send a 2CD compilation of bands from my town made in 1997 to a girl in Texas.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T19:43:31-08:00

Evening, Interstellar Rasputin of the Series of Tubes and/or Webz

Tell me what you're doing, tell me what you're planning, tell me how your week went. Speak now.

Another quick week. All the napping this month has made the days fly by. My windshield fogged up like crazy this morning on the freeway but I didn't die on the road so I call that a win and I'm ready to stay in bed for the next 24 hours.

Also I was doing some x-mas shopping this week and one of those kiosk skanks at the mall grabbed me and I ended up buying expensive shit from her. She wasn't even that cute. Felt pretty pissed and victimized after. This made me realize I have been distracted and have forgotten what I am about so I turned to George Carlin for guidance and it all started coming back to me. I've been too nice and gentle and it's just not healthy. Time to get angry again and fuck shit up :D

anyway, I am planning to just draw moar Space Shark going into the new year, and I don't know... I hope this coming year is finally the one where I sack up and get myself a table at a comic show, I dunno what the fuck for. But yeah, lot of great, amazing events happened this year along with some stupid-goddamn-piece-of-shit events. One way or another everything balances the fuck out, ha.

Take her easy, Whitechapel. Long live the Batman. Get angry and make shit.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T19:44:22-08:00

So I've spent the past year casually dating this girl. About three months in I fell completely head over heels in love with her. And because I suck at life, things ended between us on Monday. So I've spent the past week in a perpetual state of near total emotional breakdown, where I've been able to keep it together, barely, at work, and then immediately fall apart again as soon as I got home. Culminating last night with me drinking two glasses of red wine at the office christmas party, grabbing a bottle of rum on the way home and drinking about half of it in under an hour, all on a mostly empty stomach, and then calling her and leaving a couple of voice mails before vomiting. Thankfully she did call me back, and we talked for a bit, and I'm in a slightly better place than I was about the whole thing, but I still hate my life. She's the love of my life, and I can't have her, and while she still wants to be friends, and I want to still be friends with her because I want her in my life in some capacity, the thought of seeing her but not being able to hold her or kiss her or smell her hair just hurts too much. And apparently that was part of the problem, because she didn't want to be needed the way that I need her. And I tried really hard to stay somewhat aloof, but I only seem to have two modes: Perpetual loner who doesn't need anyone, and is content to just do shit by himself, and needy, possessive, emotionally dependent crazy guy. I was thoroughly in the first mode when I met her, and switched to the second some time in June, and that's when things started to break (except for a period in the summer right after I broke my shoulder in a bicycle accident, where things seemed to be going fantastic between us).

I'm going to be incredibly selfish this Christmas and just avoid my family altogether. It hasn't really meant anything to me in years, and this year especially I just can't go through the motions for them. I'm going to try and go camping up Mt. Pinos by myself, but there's a pretty massive rainstorm that's moved in and is supposed to last until Thursday, so it's possible that the campgrounds will be closed due to snow.

In the good things column: The promotion and raise that I was promised back in fucking APRIL is FINALLY going through on the 31st. But they'll only retro the pay increase through the month of December, which is pretty lame.

This is what I look like today.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T19:48:12-08:00

blaaaaarg.

I just got home from Christmas shopping. seven hours in two malls and a shopping area in the city and I ended up getting two things for myself and a whole heap of frustration on not being able to figure out what people I know would like. But my stuff is nice. A shirt and Two-Step. Thumbs up to both. Tonight will probably be an episode of Star Trek and an early bed time, as I'm going to try out boxing lessons for the first time tomorrow morning. Looking forward to it!

For the holidays, I intend to stay in shape, go on snowy hikes in Muskoka, where my cottage is, sort out what I'm going to be doing for 2011. This year was an AMAZING step in the right direction. Now to keep walking.

This week was amazing and busy. Got a surprise invite to see Priscilla Queen Of The Desert again, which was hilarious. Watched an advanced screening of Tron which was full of pretty lasers and had the office building Christmas party where I gorged myself on ungodly amounts of fancy cheese and discovered that smoked salmon and salami do indeed make a good combination for a sandwich.

Also I sent of a few print orders from the one-day half off sale, which is always great. It's interesting, with the cost of printing and shipping, I really don't make much from those orders. But it's more important to me that someone loves my work enough to want it hanging in their living space. Great feeling and it makes me happy that I can provide something for them.

Oh! I also bottled my home brew! Proud moment for us all.

Right, I should probably start watching Star Trek or something. I shall leave you with my officialish holiday greeting card that I took just half an hour ago.

See you all in 2011.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T20:09:36-08:00

Doing: Digesting bangers and mash and Delirium Noel. Admiring my 2 foot tall apartment xmas tree I just decorated in a very short time. Basking in repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.

Planning: A peaceful Christmas with absolutely no family. A not so peaceful New Years with old friends.

The week: A drunken few days in Aspen. Had to get a tow over Vail Pass to get home to Denver. Got stranded a night in tiny Frisco; crashed at hotel run by Eastern Europeans that had an impressive spa/sauna installed in a room. Sinking feeling an ulcer is moving in.

Here is a picture I made of my cat in Tron:

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T20:41:13-08:00

Hello, World.
Just got done from a nice decent shift at work, as business has picked up, and I feel satisfied with things, as if things are settling down into the land of How Things Should Be.
I also got to a higher level than 86 in infinity blade, killed the bad guy, and feel pretty happy for having found a fighty game that I don't suck at. I got to open some Christmas presents early (yays!), and it's been nice seeing old friends who ran off to college come back with their amazing stories, which seem to involve the phrase 'biomedical engineering' a lot. I can't wait until my art classes start (uhm. Yeh. I'm geeked about a class on art business which will do a good job covering copyright laws. I may be insane). Most of my Christmas shopping is done, now all that's left to do is housekeeping.

Today I'm rather happy, because my mom learned how to update her iPad's OS ALL BY HERSELF! Huzzah! I am so proud of her, for being able to set up an ipad and update it without needing me to be right there. She's been also reading her manual for it, I think, which is also cool. And she still loves it, so that bank account eating fiendish tablet is probably the best (early) Christmas gift I've ever gotten her.

I have food, caffeine, and I'm ready for the holidays.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T20:52:18-08:00

Job interview for a job I'll probably get but don't want (will have to take it if offered or else lose the unemployment benefit as despite some other opportunities which are quite promising they're not certainties but taking the job will probably mean these opportunities can't be taken), boxing, brewery birthday party, costume hunting, shaving off most of my body hair and having my body painted for said costume, own birthday party, being soundly mocked for romantic failures. My week in a nutshell. Oh, and I suppose lots of exercise but that's really a given.

Attempting to work out how I can make Christmas not suck for myself. Somehow I need to avoid the obligatory church attendance with family and the totally unnecessary early morning trip on the 24th to where Christmas will be held because apparently many things need to be done. Fucked if I know what actually needs to be done up there that can't be done elsewhere while avoiding the early morning. Also, why do people have to make Christmas stressful when it really doesn't need to be?

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T21:04:31-08:00

I'm sitting on the couch with a cat on my feet, something babbling on the TV. My head hurts a touch cause I'm tired, drank, and made myself do a little more socializing then I needed to try near a Holiday (I saw Santa tonight. I didn't have a flask on me.) My neck is stiff. I'm looking so forward to a nap.

I'm not in planning mode. I made half the presents I needed to, I need to make more, but probably make up some kind of Pagan Christmas that happens i the middle of January so I don't feel I'm in trouble for not getting everyone's gifts prepared. I plan to drink, eat peppermint sticks, be a poor-ass fucker, get a few x-mas presents, and not to be the least bit hard on myself as I create almost nothing in January, aka the month of hibernation.

My week was incredibly dull. I enjoy work being quiet, but my brain was so scattered, promises kept falling through the swiss-cheese of my brain, I tried to make up for it by looking cute, but I hate smiling when I'm not in a good mood. I did some re-organizing of my cave, slept iffy, and was very pleased to be able to keep my house much warmer this year. Its cold, but not like last year, things worked out slightly better heat-wise.

I will be hiding from everyone till this Christmas is over. My phone will be off. Then whimper because I wish I could have the free food without all the drama and emotional SWING of the Holi-Dayz themselves.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T21:34:07-08:00

'Mummy, why was the man in that lorry shouting and waving his arms like that? He looked very upset. Was it because he was going so slowly?'

'Well Timmy, i think it may have been because lorrys don't usually go down hills sideways like that'

We have had a little weather here.

It is now half past five in the morning and i'm off to Peterborough in a little white seven and a half tonner.

I must like it, otherwise why would i keep doing it...

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T22:00:24-08:00

Working retail puts a real damper on the holiday spirit. Been teetering on the edge of going into full depression mode for a couple weeks now, and it's not being helped by the extra work of keeping a bakery ready for Christmas. Very tired, and ready to get out of this month.
Thinking a little about last year's posts around this time. How I was so adamant about starting to do something w/ my life, and I've failed. Still in the same job, still having the same emotional problems, still haven't even got caught up on all the medical shit I need done. I'm not promising anything anymore.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T22:07:40-08:00

@David Lejeune - I feel your pain. I had a "love" that went bad. 27 years later - she looks like her mom. Don't let this consume you. Sometimes things happen, and new better relationships can start.

Daughter had her last day of preschool this year Friday. That's a win. We did a kid's birthday party this morning and it was so charming. The party boy's mom is from Sweden and pretty cool. They had a lady "clown" in Tinker Belle drag and it worked for the kids moreso than Spiderman would have ... The boys were entranced and polite...

Our Franco-Japanese friends left for France and our Yankee-Japanese friends came in from Japan. We put out an invitation for the tot's 5th birthday next month. We even bought a Hawaiian getaway for us this March. I rarely indulge but as we're a bit richer now even post job loss (it's complicated). I'm going to salt some ready cash away to surprise the wife and escape to Japan as well - shhhh! it will be a a surprise. I have a cunning plan.

We do Christmas by eating at a fine restaurant for dinner as we're Buddhist Jews. I've an awesome Ultraman goodie package for my daughter she isn't expecting. She totally has been bitching that 8 days of Hanukah aren't enough. So why not?

Off to bed ...

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T22:10:04-08:00

The week was a bit stressful. Finals week at school, and I'm a procrastinator. Luckily I had no big tests this semester. But I had art projects. Oh so many art projects. I don't deserve any better than a C in sculpture. I didn't finish a thing. But after talking to the professor, I'm pretty sure I'm getting an A-. I'm filled with guilt and happiness. We both know I bit off more than I could chew with my final conceptual self portrait (a Barbie-like doll with my proportions), and no one else finished with our limestone carving either, but still. I could have done better, and I know it. That A- will be my lowest grade, perhaps tied with math. Still, I should have done better.
Mostly I've been distracted by this newfound boyfriend thing I have. It's a different sort of distraction than I'm used to. A better sort, probably. As I rode home today my mom asked me a few questions about him. She asked what he did before coming to school. I mentioned that he worked for his Aunt that grows medical marijuana in California, and painted houses among other things. I did not mention that he found God through an acid trip, or that he's covered in tattoos, or that the only reason he goes to church is he wants to get into BYU for cheap. Still, she doesn't want me to be exclusive. No surprise there.
Anyway, the best part of my week was the morning before last when we slept in until 11 despite everything I had to do. If I told any of my family or most any of my friends that I'd slept in a boy's with him on multiple occasions they would be extremely worried and make me feel incredibly guilty despite the fact I didn't do anything. So I'm telling you instead. It was lovely.
Plans are mostly this graphic novel I've got in my head. And some other art pieces.
Right now I'm going to watch a movie.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-18T23:22:22-08:00

Mr. Ellis... Whitechapel'ers... hello.

What I'm doing:

I'm at home, sitting on my couch after a night of work work work. My girl is passed out beside me, her legs curled behind my back and one hand oddly twisted up behind her head. It looks insanely uncomfortable. She's a heavy sleeper though... I could probably blast some "Reign In Blood" right now on the house stereo and she'd roll over only slightly, to an even more uncomfortable position. Me, on the other hand, I wake at the fucking drop of a skin cell. Some Iron Man show from the 1990's is on the TV; something involving The Mandarin giving one of his rings to MODOK after becoming enslaved to some band of ruthless Middle-Eastern thieves. Now he's going around the globe collecting his rings or something. I dunno. The glow of the X-Mas lights is my favorite thing about this time of the year. I turn them all on and shut off every single other light. They provide a nice ambiance. I'm a fan of low lighting to begin with, throw in multi-colored lighting and I'm all for it. I was just hopping on my laptop to post my 2010 mix on here, and a couple other places, and e-mail it to some friends who I know will enjoy it.

What I'm planning:

I recently made the mistake of officially starting the first draft of my first ever novel. HA. It's a tall mountain to climb, but I've been through much, much more challenging things in my life and I'm better for each and every one. It's probably too bold of a concept, and I probably don't have the chops to pull it off, but dammit I'm gonna try! I don't want to explain it fully here (that would take waaay to long and I feel it should be unknown to the reader); I will say it involves the realization that I'm an "eternalist", the String Theory, human history, "control systems", and some guy called "Mr. Eight"... tell me about it. I was reading an interview with Burroughs while doing pre-draft 1 research, investigating exactly how his process worked. I don't think I can attack a novel in the conventional way just in the sense that it isn't how I work. Luckily, the concept I'm shooting for doesn't necessarily punish a more unconventional process; in fact, it might be built for that. I'm also putting something together for submission to resident stream-o-conscious rap guru Texture for his mag version of Weaponizer. Musically, I just finished those couple mixtapes, along with my second B.I.G. remix album this summer, so I'm probably taking some time off to write before digging in for my third solo album, hopefully my first full length, as Mild Maynyrd. When I get into creating an album, or a song, it just fucking consumes my life. Everything else gets put on hold like an addict of uncut junk. For now, the novel will be taking up majority of my creative time.

How my week went:

A little insane. Just a little. I manage a pizza joint over here in the middle of North America. Long story short, I was working the other night with this Rastafarian dude (hell of a guy), just him and I, and the bastard got held up at fucking gunpoint. "Gimme everything you got or I'm gonna ice ya", is apparently what the guy said to him right off the bat, pointing something at him from under his jacket. Rastaman couldn't believe what was happening, the only thing he could think to say was, "what??". Well, this just pissed off the robber more. So he pulled out his piece, just a little I guess, and flashed Rastaman his gun-metal. You know, that dull but somehow shiny black gun-metal? That was enough for Rastaman to throw everything he had at the guy immediately. So he grabbed it and ran. Funny part is, besides the guy using "ice" as a kill/shoot synonym, Rastaman watched him run the whole way... all one block to his parked black Caddy sitting nicely under a street light after sundown. So Rastaman records the plate number and the make, and calls the cops immediately. The culprit popped up in their system right away. Two days later (after Rastaman had to go downtown to finger the guy in an old-school dark room/light room lineup) he was arrested. They say people do desperate things during the holiday season. A local bar I live probably 3 miles from was also robbed at bar close a couple days earlier. Some crazy dude waited 'til everyone was good and drunk and waltzed in there waiving a fucking .45 around threatening to off anyone who didn't do what he said. I was pretty damn paranoid after Rastaman got robbed. He was obviously very shaken up and I sent him home immediately. I kept the place open for a bit longer, but found myself looking over my shoulder constantly in the back-alley and re-locking the doors repeatedly like a first-time tripper.

So yeah, that was interesting.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-19T01:18:21-08:00

Doing: Sorting through photos from one of the best events I've been to this year. FC had some photos in a gallery show here in LA, and it was close to my home, so I went. Only planned to pop in, look at the photos and leave, but in addition to some frankly amazing urban exploration photography the gallery space itself was brilliant, and there was a lineup of bands playing that just genuinely killed. I ended up staying several hours, talked to several of the photographers, took some unfortunately shakey photos myself (trying not to use a flash in a dim environment was a mistake) and got home late.

Planning: Put a deposit down on a new apartment, I'll be moving at the end of January, just a few blocks north of my current location. I'm really looking forward to it as, though my current building is good, the neighborhood is grim and the fire station down the street keeps issuing forth engines to plague my peace. I'm sure I wouldn't mind the sirens if I was ON FIRE, but so far have been fortunate in this respect, so the blaring and wailing is less welcome. The new place is in a much nicer building, but it is smaller, and I'll need to shed a lot of stuff. This is good, as I want to shed stuff anyway, and now have the needed external motivator.

Meeting with a friend on Monday to talk about a possible partnership in a software startup as an on-the-side thing we both hope might become a real income. I'm not fully mentally invested in this right now though, which could be bad news. We'll see how the gears move after I talk to him.

That would be one front of a three fronted attack on 2011. The other two are a short lofiscifi film, as I've been yammering about that for a year now and need to just jump in and do it, and a fiction writing self-challenge, to put out a (probably awful) short story every week. I need to get a head start on that and I'm already behind.

Did a bunch of work on all these fronts a week ago, but have stalled again in the run-up to the holidays.

It's possible I may have a date in January. As in, taking a girl out to something. This has become a rare occurrence, so may require some planning as well.

Week: was good. Low key at work. Rainy and cold, which always lifts my spirits (not a joke). Have got a lot of unanticipated goodwill directed my way in the last few days and am pretty grateful for it, it has been a decent close to the year.

Let's have a staring contest...

I WIN!

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-19T01:30:31-08:00

what you're doing

I am currently eating my leftover Japanese food from Lunch with the boy that i never got to finish whilst at work... It has been reheated twice as i tried to eat it when i got home about 4 hours ago, but fell asleep instead. But fried rice that is tasty 'fresh' is tasty when reheated and chicken tempura is always good. Also the boy is currently om nom nomming my hips whilst i type... >_<;

tell me what you're planning

I am planning very little... My friend is supposed to have a burlesque show tomorrow that I am supposed to attend but i've heard nothing on it. So likely i'll end up trying to shop for the paper for my origami gifts.

tell me how your week went

OH lord my week... has been busy, Tomorrow is my last day off until Christmas, which i work the 26th and 27th... So... I can't even really attend most the parties I know of... let alone get the clothes needed for things like the masquerade. However i may get to see old friends who are in town, which is all i want.

He's distracting me >_<; So... see ya later WC have a wonderful holiday!

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-19T01:44:08-08:00

@DavidLejeune- We are in similar positions, my friend. Oh yes. Only the casual was three years; the breaking off over a year ago wasn't breaking as much as expecting me to be ok with the fact that we'd never been exlusive, evidently; and since then I've been trying to convince myself I could be friends with the only person who engulfed me to the point that I didn't randomly pop out with sentences in the middle of kissing and actually made my chattering brain shut the fuck up for the first time in my life, but instead failing by bursting into sobs withing 12 hours of seeing him in person. Yes, for over a year now, we've been in a holding pattern of slow-motion doom through emails, phone calls, and the occasional face to face encounter.

I, too, will be bailing on family this year. What makes it extra awkward is that I'm living at aunt's house, which is where everyone convenes on Christmas Eve, which also happens to be my birthday. I have no friends to hang out with, I don't have a car, I've very little money, and I'm still hearbroken. I was thinking of going into the city by myself, but my brain-swelling Lyme Disease headache won't fucking go away and the only thing that keeps it bearable is laying flat on my back. This will be interesting.

Mummenshanz is on tour, so I might just stuff myself with painkillers, wake up before dusk for a change, and throw myself out into the world to see the wacky interpretive troupe for a Manhattan matinee on Christmas Eve, and then do the same thing on Christmas Day to see the Pee Wee Herman Show.

Even if my ears bleed from the effort, it'd still be the best Christmas I'd had in many years.

I'm afraid to buy the tickets ahead of time, because I'm still afraid of my brain, afraid of my headache, afraid that I'd be securing myself into two days of lonliness, ~~afraid of~~ ~~hoping~~ avoiding the insane notion that he might somehow fix everything in the next 4 days and want to join me.

head.... hurts.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-19T03:16:39-08:00

This past week has been uneventful, but my week ahead consists of very little work, so I should be able to go out and take some new photos, which is something I haven't done in a good long while. That and be fucking lazy, another thing I haven't done in a while. Also, x'mas dinner with the family. I may be an atheist, but I won't turn down some good grub and a chance to suit up again (no bow tie this time though).

Speaking of grub, my new year's eve plans include hanging out with my closest friends and having a BBQ. Best damn way to ring in 2011, I tell you.

This is me with my new, mohawk-free buzzcut:

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-19T04:19:26-08:00

Doing? Sitting. Reading. Gaming. Gambling. Just relaxing, really. Was down the road a couple of hours earlier, playing pool and drinking beer with some of the workmates. It was a soggy experience, it's been raining steadily for a few days now. It's later in the evening than I thought it was, so I probably won't do much else.

Planning? I'm not. Just letting ideas roll around in my head for now. I'm looking for a new place to live, a new partner. I have a couple of letters to write to friends, and I'm clearing out the muck that is the day-to-day so I can look at how I'm really feeling, and be emotional and honest, rather than some brand of smart-arse-ery.

Oh, I am planning an Orphan Christmas. There's a few of us at work who don't have anything to do for the day, so I'm going to host something in my flat, and hopefully the weather will be kind and we'll be able to use the verandah. I intend to roast chickens and potatoes and pork belly.

My week was wonderful and horrible at the same time. I took off down the coast with a mate, and went fishing for a few days. Drank a bit, swam in the ocean, it was nice. As well, though, Sunday was the 3rd anniversary of the death of my father. He died after a work site accident, in a hospital. I was alone with him when he left, and obviously it's a traumatic experience, and this time of year is hard now.

I'd just like to say thank you, Warren and Ariana, for encouraging and curating a place like Whitechapel. Good luck with the holidays and the new year.

Saturday Night Open Mic (18dec10)

2010-12-19T04:19:45-08:00

I moved my family into the new house yesterday. After 6 weeks of hotels and hauling suitcases from country to country we have a place to call home. Today that's enough for me.