Science is all cool and whatnot, but I was mostly excited about the movie props etc. It was awesome to see practical models since sooo much of the prequels were totally digital.
And lookie over there......a new poll!!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Star Wars Come to Texas
Some ReelFXers took a field trip to Fort Worth to check out the Star Wars exhibit at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The exhibit shows how the science of Star Wars relates to our world (robotic limbs for instance); several of the hands on interactives were actually pretty neato.
Science is all cool and whatnot, but I was mostly excited about the movie props etc. It was awesome to see practical models since sooo much of the prequels were totally digital.
And lookie over there......a new poll!!
Science is all cool and whatnot, but I was mostly excited about the movie props etc. It was awesome to see practical models since sooo much of the prequels were totally digital.
And lookie over there......a new poll!!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Rollerblade X-treme
The amount of speed this dude gets is pretty impressive....and a little scary; it's pretty cool how he takes the turns. For the curious: the mountain road he is on, Grimselpass, is in Switzerland.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Who Needs a Kwik E Mart?
As I am sure you are aware, several 7-11s have had a make over to look like Kwik E Marts from the Simpsons show. Lots of photos have been on the net for awhile, but hey why not post some more? The other week, me and my buddy Ernesto visited the one near the studio....and these are our pictures...
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Davey Jones Coolness
Awesome side by side comparison of Bill Nighy (Davey Jones) from Dead Man's Chest (clip *may* not play in Firefox)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Moon Sand
Maybe you have seen ads for this Moon Sand stuff. It's sand you can mold!! And we have some. Commercials work well on Wonder-pea. She sees the Moon Sand commercials and insists that we must get some. She also insists that we get a Rocket Fisherman.
So on a trip to the Toys R Us we picked her up some. And from the moment we opened the package I began hating Moon Sand with every fiber of my being.
Our kit came with an ice cream cone mold. Yes when you pack the moon sand in the mold it makes a pretty nice little shape. Removing the shape from the mold requires a surgeons steady hand. If you're lucky enough to remove it in one piece you have about 5.3 seconds before it falls apart.
The packaging shows these elaborate little scenes made up of various molded moon sand figures....yeah nice photoshop. After several tries, I managed to make and remove, intact, an ice cream cone. Moving carefully, as if holding plutonium, I sat it on the table. I slowly backed away holding my breath. I caught Wonder-peas attention and through a series of rapid eye darts, directed her attention to the ice cream cone. Unfortunately the shock wave from her blink was too much and the figure crumbled.
Wowie!! That was fun. NOT. So this junk is mostly useless to play with, but hey clean up is a snap right? RIGHT???!!! Cleaning up the moon sand is the bane of my existence. Like sand we find here on earth, moon sand is gritty and gets everywhere. We might as well bring the sand box in the house because it's like having all the messy fun of the beach right there in your own home!!! I want to punch the inventor of this stuff in the neck....seriously.
I have threatened to throw the moon sand away numerous times but my wife prevents me from doing so because Wonder-pea likes playing in it. And that is fine...its the damn clean up.
There is nothing better than to come home from work in a great mood....la la la, hello wife, walk into the the living room, hello Lil Pumpkin, walk into the dining room, hello Wonde-MOON SAND!!! AH CRAP NO...NOT THE MOON SAND!! Then there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth.....
Hear me Moon Sand...your days are numbered.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Transformers
So the other day a small group of us headed out of work a little early to catch Transformers. While critics have been split on the film, geeks like me seem to be digging it, so I was reasonably excited to see the movie. The lesson I learned was: don't trust geeks.
**Some spoilers and complaining ahead....you've been warned**
Having worked on the game I was aware of the basic storyline, which raised many an eyebrow around the studio and not in a good way; Autobots shop on ebay?...was Optimus' birthday coming up? What to get the bot who can transform into anything.
Then there was the robot design. Again having worked on the game I knew first hand what a pain in the rear it was to get good poses with these huge meshes of metal AND how hard it was to tell them apart from each other.
I appreciate the set up at the beginning of the film and thought it was well done, however it went on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. I swear it was 45 min in before Optimus even showed up. And then when he and the other Autobots did come on the scene they act like people in robot costumes. Jazz break dancing? Bumblebee doing some kinda....dance thing....dancing should be outlawed in summer blockbusters.
After the movie was over I asked Bryan Engram what he thought, to which he replied "I don't know what to think." That was pretty much how I felt. On one hand there was some cool action scenes and some neato transformation animation and bot on bot battles; at the end of the day that IS what we came to see. But at the same time most of those action scenes were hard to follow. The camera was constantly moving and pushed in too close. And then there was the bots.
I have no problem with them being redesigned. And I think ILM did a decent job with what they had to work with but man oh man most of them bots were just too busy looking. Did they even have hands? There was so much metal this and that everywhere it was hard to tell.
During the final battle I literally lost track of who was attacking who.....ok is that...Ironhide?....no wait...Barricade....no...NO it is Ironhi.....wait...... If they shot laser beams (hint hint) instead of bullets (advance alien race....they use bullets?) then at least the Decepticons could have red lasers...the Autobots blue...which would have helped A LOT to figure out who was shooting who.
One of the best scenes was the throw down between Bonecrusher and Optimus on the freeway, but once they started rolling around it was like watching a mangled train wreck; there could have been major pass through on the characters and no one would EVER know. That sequence ended with awesomeness when Prime wacks off Bonecrushers head with a sword...a sword that he apparently forgets he has in the next battle.
Then there was the cheese. Why....WHY would the Autobots hang out in Sam's yard when they are supposed to be keeping a low profile? It's like Michael Ebay was going for an Iron Giant moment there. John Turturro was just a tad or 10 over the top....funny sure....but goofball secret government agents? Really? Bumblebee taking a leak on Turturro......oh you wacky robots, I want to party with you guys on new Cybertron......sigh...
How about that robot character development or lack thereof. You will sell more toys if the kids connect with the characters....some free advice for the future. We get to know Optimus a little and Bumblebee and the toony "I'm from a different movie" Frenzy and that's it. Megatron has too little screen time to be developed and the other Decepticons just fly around and break stuff.. which is cool, but one of the things that was neato about the bad guys in the old show was the power plays between Megatron and Starscream and its just not here.
Ironhide, Ratchet and Jazz....I can barely remember what they looked like let alone what they did in the movie. Jazz got killed...I remember that. Here Optimus...here is Jazz' dead body...maybe we can use him for a door stop or something.
Analyst girl and donut eating hacker dude: how did you sneak into this movie? There was no need for either of you...please leave; the code "discovery" could have been reworked without either of them.
Shia LaBeouf I really liked you in this movie....yes its true. His Sam character tied all the nuttiness together and he was fun to watch. I actually left the theater feeling better about this kid being in Indy 4.
All Spark....200 feet high...but wait, if you push this button here it shrinks down to ever so convenient pocket size, Baby Spark. Yeah...ok. And why was every bot created by Baby Spark evil?
Optimus please keep your mouth shield ON in the next one. I don't want to see your wacky bot nose and lips. If you were trying to emote during the film, it was lost due to so many parts moving around on your face. Sell the emotion with your eyes...the EYES...come on big guy, you know you got the touch, you got the power.
Megatron saying "Prime"....yes I liked that....say it again...no? maybe in the next one. Hugo Weaving voiced all 12 lines Megatron spoke in the film and with all the digital enhancements, SpongeBob Squarepants could have done the voice and it would have sounded cool. Why didn't they just get Frank Welker?
The film was fun, I was entertained....really I was, but it wasn't the film I was hoping for or expecting. Hopefully Transformers 2 will be WAY better.
**Some spoilers and complaining ahead....you've been warned**
Having worked on the game I was aware of the basic storyline, which raised many an eyebrow around the studio and not in a good way; Autobots shop on ebay?...was Optimus' birthday coming up? What to get the bot who can transform into anything.
Then there was the robot design. Again having worked on the game I knew first hand what a pain in the rear it was to get good poses with these huge meshes of metal AND how hard it was to tell them apart from each other.
I appreciate the set up at the beginning of the film and thought it was well done, however it went on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. I swear it was 45 min in before Optimus even showed up. And then when he and the other Autobots did come on the scene they act like people in robot costumes. Jazz break dancing? Bumblebee doing some kinda....dance thing....dancing should be outlawed in summer blockbusters.
After the movie was over I asked Bryan Engram what he thought, to which he replied "I don't know what to think." That was pretty much how I felt. On one hand there was some cool action scenes and some neato transformation animation and bot on bot battles; at the end of the day that IS what we came to see. But at the same time most of those action scenes were hard to follow. The camera was constantly moving and pushed in too close. And then there was the bots.
I have no problem with them being redesigned. And I think ILM did a decent job with what they had to work with but man oh man most of them bots were just too busy looking. Did they even have hands? There was so much metal this and that everywhere it was hard to tell.
During the final battle I literally lost track of who was attacking who.....ok is that...Ironhide?....no wait...Barricade....no...NO it is Ironhi.....wait...... If they shot laser beams (hint hint) instead of bullets (advance alien race....they use bullets?) then at least the Decepticons could have red lasers...the Autobots blue...which would have helped A LOT to figure out who was shooting who.
One of the best scenes was the throw down between Bonecrusher and Optimus on the freeway, but once they started rolling around it was like watching a mangled train wreck; there could have been major pass through on the characters and no one would EVER know. That sequence ended with awesomeness when Prime wacks off Bonecrushers head with a sword...a sword that he apparently forgets he has in the next battle.
Then there was the cheese. Why....WHY would the Autobots hang out in Sam's yard when they are supposed to be keeping a low profile? It's like Michael Ebay was going for an Iron Giant moment there. John Turturro was just a tad or 10 over the top....funny sure....but goofball secret government agents? Really? Bumblebee taking a leak on Turturro......oh you wacky robots, I want to party with you guys on new Cybertron......sigh...
How about that robot character development or lack thereof. You will sell more toys if the kids connect with the characters....some free advice for the future. We get to know Optimus a little and Bumblebee and the toony "I'm from a different movie" Frenzy and that's it. Megatron has too little screen time to be developed and the other Decepticons just fly around and break stuff.. which is cool, but one of the things that was neato about the bad guys in the old show was the power plays between Megatron and Starscream and its just not here.
Ironhide, Ratchet and Jazz....I can barely remember what they looked like let alone what they did in the movie. Jazz got killed...I remember that. Here Optimus...here is Jazz' dead body...maybe we can use him for a door stop or something.
Analyst girl and donut eating hacker dude: how did you sneak into this movie? There was no need for either of you...please leave; the code "discovery" could have been reworked without either of them.
Shia LaBeouf I really liked you in this movie....yes its true. His Sam character tied all the nuttiness together and he was fun to watch. I actually left the theater feeling better about this kid being in Indy 4.
All Spark....200 feet high...but wait, if you push this button here it shrinks down to ever so convenient pocket size, Baby Spark. Yeah...ok. And why was every bot created by Baby Spark evil?
Optimus please keep your mouth shield ON in the next one. I don't want to see your wacky bot nose and lips. If you were trying to emote during the film, it was lost due to so many parts moving around on your face. Sell the emotion with your eyes...the EYES...come on big guy, you know you got the touch, you got the power.
Megatron saying "Prime"....yes I liked that....say it again...no? maybe in the next one. Hugo Weaving voiced all 12 lines Megatron spoke in the film and with all the digital enhancements, SpongeBob Squarepants could have done the voice and it would have sounded cool. Why didn't they just get Frank Welker?
The film was fun, I was entertained....really I was, but it wasn't the film I was hoping for or expecting. Hopefully Transformers 2 will be WAY better.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Energon Cubes Make Me Gasey
Transformers officially opens today although it sorta, kinda opened on Monday. In stores at this very moment is Transformers: The Game. If you haven't seen the game trailer head on over to the official game site and check it out; looks like a lot of fun.ReelFX did some of the cut scene animatics for the game and I've posted several of my shots in the animation area. A word of warning!! If you have NOT seen the movie, there are a couple spoilers in my shot montage, as the game follows events in the film. You have been warned.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Die Hard
With "Live Free or Die Hard" doing fairly well, it looks like yet another Die Hard film is on the way...
Monday, July 02, 2007
That'll Do Donkey
I uploaded a Donkey test to the animation area. It's in a brand new tab aaaalll the way at the bottom, called TESTS.Before we started the Shrek the Third commercials, we spent a couple weeks playing with the rigs, providing "shots" for texture and lighting so they could get the fur looking the way Dreamworks wanted.
Also there is new poll up...yay! Look over there...there it is...see it? I said I'd post a new one on Mondays and by god I did. Shocking I know. I half expected that I would forget all about it.
A future poll will question how long I will remember to update the poll.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
WALL-E
I'm sure it will be taken down soon.....so see it while you can! It's a fun little promo for Buy N Large, makers of WALL-E. The spot reminds me of something they would show in Tomorrowland or something..
Burger Time
While doing some food shopping I saw a package of Mickey Mouse Hamburgers and by golly it struck me as being so darn bizarre, that I had to snap a picture.My initial thought was "You got to be kidding me, who would buy these?"
The obvious answer is that they are hoping the kids will yell and scream for em because mouse head shaped burger patties excite and amaze todays youth. I'm surprised Nickelodeon hasn't licensed a SpongeBob shaped pattie.
While I stood in the freezer section of my grocery store laughing at the patties I noticed something in the upper right corner where it says Check It Out.....mmmm yummy..It makes the picture of happy, burger flipping, Mickey so wrong...so very, very wrong.....but at least there's no trans fat..
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Polls Are Now Open
If you look off to the right you will see I've added a poll. Yes it's true! I saw this on another site I frequent and thought "my god....I must have one". So every week to two weeks (I will mostly likely post new ones on Mondays) look for a new poll with topics ranging from almost serious to mostly absurd.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
More Puss Less Boots
I've posted a couple more Puss N Boots shots in the animation area. The spot for Nickelodeon with Puss hacking and weezing was a lot of fun. The spot was three shots, totaling 15 seconds, however Nickelodeon decided that the spot needed to be 5 seconds...sigh...so the animation was severely edited in the final spot....tears..
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Thursday, May 31, 2007
May Ends Well
The LOST season finale was quite good...who would have thunk it possible? Lots of great moments: Jake beating the crap out of Ben, Sawyer blowing away Mr. Friendly and Hurley mowing a guy down with the van. Yes all very violent, but pretty cool none the less.
The flash forward, as it was revealed to be, was kind of cool but I'm not sure I want that happening all next season. I say this because the producers have said that next season the format will be changing....hummmm. By showing us the ending and then how everything got to that point....eh...an episode or two maybe but not the whole season.
Charlie finally died after all the teasing. While he could have most likely made it out the door, sealing the flooding compartment, I think Charlie realized that death was calling, either then or later. Desmond told him episodes before that no matter what he did, Charlie was gonna die, so he and us, knew it was coming. I think the little hobbit decided to go out a hero rather than get an arrow in the neck or step on a poisonous sea urchin. Sniff...bye Charlie.
The only major problem I had with the finale is the pirate that will not die. This guy has been zapped by the sonic fence and now shot in the chest with a spear gun and somehow he survives. I don't care how fast the island may regenerate you, yanking a shark spear out of your chest is gonna leave a mess and a big hole. I can only hope that exploding a grenade at point blank range was enough to do him in or else maybe his pirate chunks will reform like Voltron.
**SPOILERS AHEAD ME HEARTIES**
POTC: At World's End...me likey. COTBB is still the best of the series, but I thought this third and possibly last movie was a lot of fun. Jack was crazy again, Barbossa was awesome and the tone of the film, while serious at times, had the whimsical sense of adventure as the first film.
People have complained that the story is too complex and too hard to follow, but honestly I had no problem keeping up. Some of the backstabbing, double crosses came a little quick at times, but I like the fact that these movies make you pay attention. Yes you may miss stuff the first go around, I know I did on the first two films, but its fun to discover the stuff you may have missed on future viewings. It's kinda like watching LOST...but with no polar bears.
Case in point: the locket that both Tia Dalma and Davey Jones have. There is shot in the 2nd film when they go to see the voodoo lady and Jack is busy stealing things. He reaches down and takes a ring off the table and that locket is sitting there. Very subtle but kinda cool.
A couple things could have been tweaked like the wedding sequence; I thought it should have happened quicker given the current situation....do you, do you...fine your married. The Attack of the 50 Foot Tia Dalma was....weird. I was expecting her to turn into a mystical, translucent...something. What she was yelling..who knows...but I read on a forum that someone thought she was screaming "I want Cracker Barrel!!" which made me laugh.
If you stayed for the credits, and by now you should know there is always something after the credits, you saw the 10 years later bit with Will returning to Port Royal to find Elizabeth and son waiting for him. In the theater I figured that the flash of green indicated his return to the living for one day, however reading some stuff on the forums at the site of writers Ted and Terry I discovered that is not correct.
They say that since Will returns home and Elizabeth has stayed true, the curse is broken and he is free to go ashore whenever. The flash of green indicated his return to the mortal world. They also mention that it is a little difficult to get this given the current cut of the film, but if you listen to when they talk of the green flash, its said that it indicates a soul returning to the mortal world. Like what happened when Jack returned.
Anyways there was a lot I liked about the movie like Jack ending up in a dingy just as he was at the start of COTBB. I also liked how Will sort of acted like Jack when he had his meeting with Jones and Beckett. Sad to see Norrington bite it...I like that actor. Some stuff could have been better and there were some missed opportunities; I still want to know what mark Sparrow left on Beckett. But overall I enjoyed it and my pea size bladder made it through the whole thing...go pea bladder!
I will admit I was a little depressed later in the day though. The thought that there may not be more movies kind of bummed me out. I love the characters and the world they inhabit and would love to revisit it every couple years, sort of how the Harry Potter movies have rolled out. At least one more sequel is assured but will it happen soon or be another Indiana Jones and the 19 Years Since My Last Movie....guess we will have to see.
To complete my May, we went to the new Red Robin that opened near our house where I enjoyed a Whisker River BBQ Chicken Burger and Chocolate Shake, for the first time in a long time.
P.S. Heroes....I'm still not pleased.
The flash forward, as it was revealed to be, was kind of cool but I'm not sure I want that happening all next season. I say this because the producers have said that next season the format will be changing....hummmm. By showing us the ending and then how everything got to that point....eh...an episode or two maybe but not the whole season.
Charlie finally died after all the teasing. While he could have most likely made it out the door, sealing the flooding compartment, I think Charlie realized that death was calling, either then or later. Desmond told him episodes before that no matter what he did, Charlie was gonna die, so he and us, knew it was coming. I think the little hobbit decided to go out a hero rather than get an arrow in the neck or step on a poisonous sea urchin. Sniff...bye Charlie.
The only major problem I had with the finale is the pirate that will not die. This guy has been zapped by the sonic fence and now shot in the chest with a spear gun and somehow he survives. I don't care how fast the island may regenerate you, yanking a shark spear out of your chest is gonna leave a mess and a big hole. I can only hope that exploding a grenade at point blank range was enough to do him in or else maybe his pirate chunks will reform like Voltron.
**SPOILERS AHEAD ME HEARTIES**
POTC: At World's End...me likey. COTBB is still the best of the series, but I thought this third and possibly last movie was a lot of fun. Jack was crazy again, Barbossa was awesome and the tone of the film, while serious at times, had the whimsical sense of adventure as the first film.
People have complained that the story is too complex and too hard to follow, but honestly I had no problem keeping up. Some of the backstabbing, double crosses came a little quick at times, but I like the fact that these movies make you pay attention. Yes you may miss stuff the first go around, I know I did on the first two films, but its fun to discover the stuff you may have missed on future viewings. It's kinda like watching LOST...but with no polar bears.
Case in point: the locket that both Tia Dalma and Davey Jones have. There is shot in the 2nd film when they go to see the voodoo lady and Jack is busy stealing things. He reaches down and takes a ring off the table and that locket is sitting there. Very subtle but kinda cool.
A couple things could have been tweaked like the wedding sequence; I thought it should have happened quicker given the current situation....do you, do you...fine your married. The Attack of the 50 Foot Tia Dalma was....weird. I was expecting her to turn into a mystical, translucent...something. What she was yelling..who knows...but I read on a forum that someone thought she was screaming "I want Cracker Barrel!!" which made me laugh.
If you stayed for the credits, and by now you should know there is always something after the credits, you saw the 10 years later bit with Will returning to Port Royal to find Elizabeth and son waiting for him. In the theater I figured that the flash of green indicated his return to the living for one day, however reading some stuff on the forums at the site of writers Ted and Terry I discovered that is not correct.
They say that since Will returns home and Elizabeth has stayed true, the curse is broken and he is free to go ashore whenever. The flash of green indicated his return to the mortal world. They also mention that it is a little difficult to get this given the current cut of the film, but if you listen to when they talk of the green flash, its said that it indicates a soul returning to the mortal world. Like what happened when Jack returned.
Anyways there was a lot I liked about the movie like Jack ending up in a dingy just as he was at the start of COTBB. I also liked how Will sort of acted like Jack when he had his meeting with Jones and Beckett. Sad to see Norrington bite it...I like that actor. Some stuff could have been better and there were some missed opportunities; I still want to know what mark Sparrow left on Beckett. But overall I enjoyed it and my pea size bladder made it through the whole thing...go pea bladder!
I will admit I was a little depressed later in the day though. The thought that there may not be more movies kind of bummed me out. I love the characters and the world they inhabit and would love to revisit it every couple years, sort of how the Harry Potter movies have rolled out. At least one more sequel is assured but will it happen soon or be another Indiana Jones and the 19 Years Since My Last Movie....guess we will have to see.
To complete my May, we went to the new Red Robin that opened near our house where I enjoyed a Whisker River BBQ Chicken Burger and Chocolate Shake, for the first time in a long time.
P.S. Heroes....I'm still not pleased.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
A Time for Planting
Over the weekend we bought three, 15 gallon trees to plant in the yard. Between cloud bursts of rain I managed to get two planted which was a small triumph because it has been raining A LOT lately. The forecast for this week was rain, rain and more rain and I didn't know when I would be able to get the last one planted. Digging a giant hole when the ground is soaking wet is not fun at all.
But I did see a window of opportunity. The forecast for today called for showers in the afternoon. Perfect. I got up early to dig me a big hole and plant me a tree before the afternoon rains came. The radar was on my side showing storms way east of us...awesome....what could possibly go wrong?
As I finished the digging of the ginormous hole, I noticed the sky was starting to darken a bit. Not a big deal. Sometimes the sky will get a little dark and nothing will happen. I figured that as long as there was no thunder I probably had some time and besides....I was almost done. I cut the bucket off the base of the tree and sat it in the hole.. then I heard a rumble. I looked at the sky behind me and it had quite suddenly gotten insanely darker...much darker than it had been all week. Oooooooooooh crap.
With with one hand holding the tree and the other working the shovel, I started quickly filling in dirt around the tree while chanting a certain four letter word. I heard another rumble of thunder which was followed by rain. Not just a sprinkle of rain mind you. No no the weather gods pushed the "Instant Hurricane Rain" button. Splooooosh.
There comes that moment when you realize that you are so wet that it just doesn't matter anymore. That moment occurred about 20 seconds after it started raining. I was completely and utterly soaked. Then the winds picked up (I found out later they reached 60 mph) and the tree was weaving all over the place. Things had gone from zero to suck in under 30 seconds.
As I continued the struggle of getting fill dirt around the tree I thought "This is actually kinda fun..its like I'm a pirate out at sea." Arrr. As I yo-ho-hoed, splashing in the mud puddles that were forming around me I had another less fun thought, I have one hand on a tree and another on a shovel...and its storming and lighting....wow this could end really badly. Then I heard fire engine sirens.....hummm..mostly likely responding to a lighting strike. Well ok then...
Wanting to spare my wife the embarrassment of having to tell people I died planting a $150 tree, I staked the tree as best I could and headed to the garage to dry out and wait for the rains to stop. After about 45 minutes the rains died down.
From all the tossing around the fill dirt had sloshed under the tree, so when I stood it up straight, it sat up way too high. Time to start over. Trying to yank a wet tree out of a muddy, wet hole was like trying to pull Excalibur out of a boulder. With a huge suction noise the tree finally came out and I got to dig out the sloppy, wet, muddy earth which now weighed about 200 lbs.
Eventually, I got the tree planted and staked. In my desire to find the perfect window of opportunity to plant that tree...a time when the ground wouldn't be too wet...I ended up picking the worst possible time I could have ever imagined. Yay for me!!
But I did see a window of opportunity. The forecast for today called for showers in the afternoon. Perfect. I got up early to dig me a big hole and plant me a tree before the afternoon rains came. The radar was on my side showing storms way east of us...awesome....what could possibly go wrong?
As I finished the digging of the ginormous hole, I noticed the sky was starting to darken a bit. Not a big deal. Sometimes the sky will get a little dark and nothing will happen. I figured that as long as there was no thunder I probably had some time and besides....I was almost done. I cut the bucket off the base of the tree and sat it in the hole.. then I heard a rumble. I looked at the sky behind me and it had quite suddenly gotten insanely darker...much darker than it had been all week. Oooooooooooh crap.
With with one hand holding the tree and the other working the shovel, I started quickly filling in dirt around the tree while chanting a certain four letter word. I heard another rumble of thunder which was followed by rain. Not just a sprinkle of rain mind you. No no the weather gods pushed the "Instant Hurricane Rain" button. Splooooosh.
There comes that moment when you realize that you are so wet that it just doesn't matter anymore. That moment occurred about 20 seconds after it started raining. I was completely and utterly soaked. Then the winds picked up (I found out later they reached 60 mph) and the tree was weaving all over the place. Things had gone from zero to suck in under 30 seconds.
As I continued the struggle of getting fill dirt around the tree I thought "This is actually kinda fun..its like I'm a pirate out at sea." Arrr. As I yo-ho-hoed, splashing in the mud puddles that were forming around me I had another less fun thought, I have one hand on a tree and another on a shovel...and its storming and lighting....wow this could end really badly. Then I heard fire engine sirens.....hummm..mostly likely responding to a lighting strike. Well ok then...
Wanting to spare my wife the embarrassment of having to tell people I died planting a $150 tree, I staked the tree as best I could and headed to the garage to dry out and wait for the rains to stop. After about 45 minutes the rains died down.
From all the tossing around the fill dirt had sloshed under the tree, so when I stood it up straight, it sat up way too high. Time to start over. Trying to yank a wet tree out of a muddy, wet hole was like trying to pull Excalibur out of a boulder. With a huge suction noise the tree finally came out and I got to dig out the sloppy, wet, muddy earth which now weighed about 200 lbs.
Eventually, I got the tree planted and staked. In my desire to find the perfect window of opportunity to plant that tree...a time when the ground wouldn't be too wet...I ended up picking the worst possible time I could have ever imagined. Yay for me!!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Puss N Boots
One of the shots I did withPuss N Boots is now up in the ALL NEW but mostly the same Animation area. This was a spot for Spanish television to help promote Shrek the Third. Hopefully over the next several days I will get my other shots on there as well.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
My Perfect Month
The month of May was going to be a big geek month for me. On the movie side we have Spider-man 3, Shrek 3 and Pirates 3. Being a comics, animation, and pirates fan, I could not be happier. On TV we have finales for 24, Heroes, Smallville, the Office and LOST. Again being a fan, I was excited to see how everything wrapped up.
Toss in my birthday and by golly May was looking like Raytopia. What a jammed pack month of goodness. But then May got here and the disappointments began.
Spider-man 3: big disappointment number #1. Go read my previous posts for details.
Shrek 3: felt like a forced sequel to me, but still entertaining. The animation was probably the best of the series and there was quite a few laugh out loud moments. In general I think part 2 was a stronger film. Mildly disappointed that the story wasn't stronger.
My birthday: turned 36....had a good day with the family...had some cake and got a replica of the Black Pearl....not too shabby. Yay a high point of May!
The Office: pretty funny finale. Not quite as many laugh out loud moments as other episodes, but still good. Solid season, solid finale.
Smallville: the finale was typical Smallville cheese until the very end when the super being that Clark is battling (that looks just like Clark) turns out to be Bizarro. During the course of the fight when evil looking Clark says, "I'm just like you, just a little more bizarre" I admit my eyebrow did that Spock "I'm intrigued thing". The finales are typically pretty good and this one was as well. Color me: satisfied.
Heroes: big disappointment number #2. Dear, dear Heroes. We had a good season didn't we. There was something special there. I felt it. Did you? Then why oh why did you punk out on the finale? The showdown between Sylar and Pete. This is what we were waiting for and it amounts to a Vader force choke and a couple of right hooks. Lame.
Sylar can stop bullets but not swords apparently as Hiro impales him with such ease a toddler could have done it. Nikki makes a guest appearance during the "battle" (I use that word loosely) wacking Sylar with a parking meter and then takes a seat. Hey thanks for that. We see Sylar die but his body is mysteriously gone at the end. Is he alive? Most likely. Even without Claire's power the guy has been shot repeatedly, killed by a drug overdose and impaled, yet still manages to survive. I also "enjoyed" how no one seemed concerned that his dead body was gone during the ending scenes.
The cliffhanger: Hiro being back in 17nth century-ish Japan....wow...gee I don't know if I can wait three months to see what happens next. I mean what an exciting...ah never mind.
The episode from a few weeks ago that was set in the future rocked. It rocked hard. The Heroes finale was just an alright episode; not an awesome finale.
24: big disappointment number #3. This one was expected. A lame season capped by a predictable and lame finale. "Jack was right" duh Jack is always right. Everyone should always listen to Jack. And even if Jack creates an international situation that nearly brings the country to war, still give him a gun, let him lead operations...all that...because he is never wrong.
The ratio between May disappointment and satisfaction is pretty even. So now we have LOST and Pirates. LOST season 3 has gotten better but can they pull off a satisfying ending or will something random happen like astronauts on the moon detecting a magnet pulse in the pacific.
I have watched Dead Man's Chest a few more times since my initial disappointment last summer and have come to enjoy the film on its own merits. Will part three make amends for past mistakes?
My May can still end on a high note if LOST and Pirates don't suck. I'm excited for both yet keeping my expectations on a average to low level. I'm not asking for perfection from either of you, just try to get it 80% right. Don't destroy my Raytopia.
P.S. Heroes I'm still mad at you.
Toss in my birthday and by golly May was looking like Raytopia. What a jammed pack month of goodness. But then May got here and the disappointments began.
Spider-man 3: big disappointment number #1. Go read my previous posts for details.
Shrek 3: felt like a forced sequel to me, but still entertaining. The animation was probably the best of the series and there was quite a few laugh out loud moments. In general I think part 2 was a stronger film. Mildly disappointed that the story wasn't stronger.
My birthday: turned 36....had a good day with the family...had some cake and got a replica of the Black Pearl....not too shabby. Yay a high point of May!
The Office: pretty funny finale. Not quite as many laugh out loud moments as other episodes, but still good. Solid season, solid finale.
Smallville: the finale was typical Smallville cheese until the very end when the super being that Clark is battling (that looks just like Clark) turns out to be Bizarro. During the course of the fight when evil looking Clark says, "I'm just like you, just a little more bizarre" I admit my eyebrow did that Spock "I'm intrigued thing". The finales are typically pretty good and this one was as well. Color me: satisfied.
Heroes: big disappointment number #2. Dear, dear Heroes. We had a good season didn't we. There was something special there. I felt it. Did you? Then why oh why did you punk out on the finale? The showdown between Sylar and Pete. This is what we were waiting for and it amounts to a Vader force choke and a couple of right hooks. Lame.
Sylar can stop bullets but not swords apparently as Hiro impales him with such ease a toddler could have done it. Nikki makes a guest appearance during the "battle" (I use that word loosely) wacking Sylar with a parking meter and then takes a seat. Hey thanks for that. We see Sylar die but his body is mysteriously gone at the end. Is he alive? Most likely. Even without Claire's power the guy has been shot repeatedly, killed by a drug overdose and impaled, yet still manages to survive. I also "enjoyed" how no one seemed concerned that his dead body was gone during the ending scenes.
The cliffhanger: Hiro being back in 17nth century-ish Japan....wow...gee I don't know if I can wait three months to see what happens next. I mean what an exciting...ah never mind.
The episode from a few weeks ago that was set in the future rocked. It rocked hard. The Heroes finale was just an alright episode; not an awesome finale.
24: big disappointment number #3. This one was expected. A lame season capped by a predictable and lame finale. "Jack was right" duh Jack is always right. Everyone should always listen to Jack. And even if Jack creates an international situation that nearly brings the country to war, still give him a gun, let him lead operations...all that...because he is never wrong.
The ratio between May disappointment and satisfaction is pretty even. So now we have LOST and Pirates. LOST season 3 has gotten better but can they pull off a satisfying ending or will something random happen like astronauts on the moon detecting a magnet pulse in the pacific.
I have watched Dead Man's Chest a few more times since my initial disappointment last summer and have come to enjoy the film on its own merits. Will part three make amends for past mistakes?
My May can still end on a high note if LOST and Pirates don't suck. I'm excited for both yet keeping my expectations on a average to low level. I'm not asking for perfection from either of you, just try to get it 80% right. Don't destroy my Raytopia.
P.S. Heroes I'm still mad at you.
Monday, May 21, 2007
What To Do In The Event Of An Earthquake
This is for all my friends out on the west coast. Knowledge is power my friends...be safe.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The Office
I found this clip for my lovely wife who laughed and laughed and laughed at this opening to "The Office".
Monday, May 07, 2007
Along Came a Spider Part 2
**SPOILERS a plenty....shield your eyes**
If you didn't read part 1 scroll down and then come back, I will wait..............all read? Great..let us continue..
Since two movies were being smashed into one, several moments were rushed for the sake of time. For instance: After the symbiote covered Pete goes building hopping we next see Peter at Dr. Conners lab with a symbiote sample. When did Peter discover what had happened to his costume? Remember its just a big stain. How did he get a sample off of it? Did he freak out a little when this gooey alien thing started oozing off his clothes?
Apparently none of that matters audience, just roll with it. Where the previous films would take a little time to explore such things, Spidey 3 just steams along. Even the scene in Conner's lab is all quick exposition. No experiments with the symbiote sample are shown. No no Dr. Conner's has seen this kind of thing many times before as he tells Peter all about it.
This sort of abridged storytelling happens throughout the movie. Several "you get the idea" sequences. Or there is exposition out the wazzoo like the Dr. Conners sequence or like when Harry's butler explains that "oh yeah I meant to tell you, but I checked your father's wound that night and he did impale himself. I should have told you before but I forgot and stuff...sorry". Thanks old man now all my bent up hate and rage is suddenly gone.
Then there is the cheese factor. The previous films had a couple cheesy moments however since Spidey 3 is a two for one kind of film the cheese has been excessively piled on.
Take Stan Lee's all too obvious and super lame appearance. Hello I'm Stan Lee creator of Spiderman and I am here to say something profound....and then walk away....sigh.. But the biggest slice of cheddar goes to Emo Pete, the product of wearing symbiote stained clothes.
We are supposed to believe that the symbiote channels aggression and is bringing out Peter's dark side when in fact the symbiote is really turning him into a dancing a-hole; I almost wanted to gauge out my own eyes. The dancing a-hole even goes on a revenge date to get back at MJ where of course he dances and sings. Oh Emo Peter you are so maniacal, Harry take notes.
If that wasn't bad enough, most every major character cries in the film, sometimes multiple times. Tears a plenty. Even Sandman, who is allergic to water, squirts some tears....somehow. This brings us to the big unfinished, cheesy, teary ending.
After pounding the crap out of Spiderman, and with Venom/Eddie dead and Harry dieing, the Sandman confesses that this isn't what he wanted. He did it all for his sick daughter and, oh yeah, he accidentally killed Uncle Ben; big salty, sandy tears swell up in his eyes. Peter seems a-ok with all of this, and says "I forgive you" while crying....again. His "I forgive you" is the Vader NOOOOOOOOO of Spiderman 3. After this Sandman becomes dust in the wind and just flies away, perhaps heading to a Mummy 3 audition. WTF just happened? What about the sick daughter and all the money he stole and the fact that he just nearly beat you to death Pete? Nope not going there apparently.
The final shots of the film are at Harry's funeral much like the Norman funeral sequence in the first film. The last shot is of MJ and Peter hugging. Are they getting back together? Does Peter now realize that she will always come second to his being Spiderman? Does she need a ride home? Who knows......
After ALL is said the film is still fun. Between periods of stunned disbelief I did enjoy a great deal of the movie. The confrontations with Peter and Harry are all good. The birth of the Sandman is great. Eddie Brock is fun. Venom's 15 minutes of life are fun. The action sequences overall are all great and well done.
But as a movie, as a third movie, it does not live up to its predecessors in ANY way. There is so much potential here that is misused it boggles the mind. Venom should have never been in the film until maybe the closing few minutes as a set up for Spidey 4. The themes of redemption and forgiveness should have been handled much more masterfully, rather than being so damn cheeseball you almost want to laugh. Hopefully, maybe, things can get put right when a Spidey 4 is made. Of course if part 3 makes a jillion dollars, and it most likely will, part 4 will have five bad guys, three new characters that do nothing and lots more crying, dancing and singing.
If you didn't read part 1 scroll down and then come back, I will wait..............all read? Great..let us continue..
Since two movies were being smashed into one, several moments were rushed for the sake of time. For instance: After the symbiote covered Pete goes building hopping we next see Peter at Dr. Conners lab with a symbiote sample. When did Peter discover what had happened to his costume? Remember its just a big stain. How did he get a sample off of it? Did he freak out a little when this gooey alien thing started oozing off his clothes?
Apparently none of that matters audience, just roll with it. Where the previous films would take a little time to explore such things, Spidey 3 just steams along. Even the scene in Conner's lab is all quick exposition. No experiments with the symbiote sample are shown. No no Dr. Conner's has seen this kind of thing many times before as he tells Peter all about it.
This sort of abridged storytelling happens throughout the movie. Several "you get the idea" sequences. Or there is exposition out the wazzoo like the Dr. Conners sequence or like when Harry's butler explains that "oh yeah I meant to tell you, but I checked your father's wound that night and he did impale himself. I should have told you before but I forgot and stuff...sorry". Thanks old man now all my bent up hate and rage is suddenly gone.
Then there is the cheese factor. The previous films had a couple cheesy moments however since Spidey 3 is a two for one kind of film the cheese has been excessively piled on.
Take Stan Lee's all too obvious and super lame appearance. Hello I'm Stan Lee creator of Spiderman and I am here to say something profound....and then walk away....sigh.. But the biggest slice of cheddar goes to Emo Pete, the product of wearing symbiote stained clothes.
We are supposed to believe that the symbiote channels aggression and is bringing out Peter's dark side when in fact the symbiote is really turning him into a dancing a-hole; I almost wanted to gauge out my own eyes. The dancing a-hole even goes on a revenge date to get back at MJ where of course he dances and sings. Oh Emo Peter you are so maniacal, Harry take notes.
If that wasn't bad enough, most every major character cries in the film, sometimes multiple times. Tears a plenty. Even Sandman, who is allergic to water, squirts some tears....somehow. This brings us to the big unfinished, cheesy, teary ending.
After pounding the crap out of Spiderman, and with Venom/Eddie dead and Harry dieing, the Sandman confesses that this isn't what he wanted. He did it all for his sick daughter and, oh yeah, he accidentally killed Uncle Ben; big salty, sandy tears swell up in his eyes. Peter seems a-ok with all of this, and says "I forgive you" while crying....again. His "I forgive you" is the Vader NOOOOOOOOO of Spiderman 3. After this Sandman becomes dust in the wind and just flies away, perhaps heading to a Mummy 3 audition. WTF just happened? What about the sick daughter and all the money he stole and the fact that he just nearly beat you to death Pete? Nope not going there apparently.
The final shots of the film are at Harry's funeral much like the Norman funeral sequence in the first film. The last shot is of MJ and Peter hugging. Are they getting back together? Does Peter now realize that she will always come second to his being Spiderman? Does she need a ride home? Who knows......
After ALL is said the film is still fun. Between periods of stunned disbelief I did enjoy a great deal of the movie. The confrontations with Peter and Harry are all good. The birth of the Sandman is great. Eddie Brock is fun. Venom's 15 minutes of life are fun. The action sequences overall are all great and well done.
But as a movie, as a third movie, it does not live up to its predecessors in ANY way. There is so much potential here that is misused it boggles the mind. Venom should have never been in the film until maybe the closing few minutes as a set up for Spidey 4. The themes of redemption and forgiveness should have been handled much more masterfully, rather than being so damn cheeseball you almost want to laugh. Hopefully, maybe, things can get put right when a Spidey 4 is made. Of course if part 3 makes a jillion dollars, and it most likely will, part 4 will have five bad guys, three new characters that do nothing and lots more crying, dancing and singing.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Along Came a Spider Part 1
So on Friday a few of us took a long lunch and headed to the local Imax to catch Spiderman 3. It was my first time watching a full movie in Imax and it will most likely be my last. The action sequences, because of the HUUUUGE screen, were a little hard to follow so that was a little annoying. Also we were sitting to the side of the theater so that might have had something to do with it. Wasn't terrible, but I think I will be seeing Pirates on a normal sized theater screen.
**SPOILERS...oh yes there are a few**
Going into the movie I had seen the trailers and knew that it ran the risk of too many villains/characters. I had anticipated this and the movie meet my expectations in every way.
The Sandman: His whole purpose in the film is to be the object of Peter's revenge because you see Flint Marko (aka Sandman) really killed Uncle Ben..accidentally..sorta. Yes Uncle Ben's death has become the Wayne parent's murder of the Spiderman movies, where it must be mentioned and brooded over in every damn movie. He's dead. Move on.
Unlike Norman Osborn or Doc Ock, villains you get to spend some time with, get to know, Flint has a big scene up front where he says to his wife and sick daughter, "I'm not a bad person, I've just had bad luck". And this is about as developed as this character ever gets.
Harry Osborn: As he tells Peter "You knew this was coming.." and indeed we did. Harry and Pete finally throw down over this whole "you killed my father" business. Setting aside the dorky costume papa Goblin wore and zooming around on a hoverboard from Treasure Planet, Harry gets an ass whoppin by his former best friend leaving him with amnesia. He doesn't remember Pete being Spidey, how to flip an omelet...nothing.
This could have been cool, I thought maybe that was it for new Goblin in this film at least. But a handful of scenes later his memory is fully back..... ok so what was the point of him forgetting? Harry gets lamer and more bizarre when in an attempt to do his father's wishes, to attack Peter by attacking his heart...he......makes Mary Jane break up with Peter. OMG Harry you are maniacal. I was waiting for him to then paint "Peter Sucks" on the side of a building. Yeah Harry I don't think that's what daddy had in mind.... more on him later.
The symbiote: I really wished Sam and company handled the symbiote differently. It doesn't really attach itself to Peter but one of his costumes. Essentially the symbiote becomes this giant stain on a costume that Peter can put on and take off. O-K. If I'm remembering the comic correctly the symbiote was always with him and when it was Spidey time it would cover him in the suit and he was ready to go.
In this film Peter keeps the stained costume in a trunk, which the symbiote seems ok with, pulling it out for those times when he......wants to be bad? I really don't know. If the symbiote increased his powers we never saw that, so I honestly don't know why he felt tempted to put it on...lock it up...ok ok one more time...no no lock it up. Had the symbiote always been on him, we would see him slowly losing himself to the dark side. By the end when he decides to rip off the symbiote, we would believe that it was really that bonded to him. The way the film handles it I wasn't really buying it....
Eddie Brock/Venom: I loved the Eddie character and if Sam wasn't trying to squeeze a 5 hour movie into 2 and half hours it would have been great to see more of him. He's the anti-Peter, more brash and cocky and more scenes between the two would have been cool. Now when Eddie becomes Venom the first thing he does before even going up against Parker is enlist the help of Sandman. Wow what a puss...your not even gonna try killing Spiderman by yourself....well ok. Venom enters the land of lame...
The battle between Spidey and Venom is pretty great though with the symbiote pulling back off Eddie's face so he can deliver some punchy taunts. Unfortunately the greatness comes to an end when Venom and Eddie get defeated and destroyed which in a phrase: pissed me off.
So we have Sandman, Harry, symbiote and Eddie/Venom. Also Gwen Stacy is introduced in this film and has absolutely nothing to do but look amazing in every scene. Everyone is fighting for screen time. Oh yeah Peter/Spidey and Mary Jane are in the movie too. Aunt May has a couple scenes. JJ Jameson gets a little screen time as does Gwen's dad Captain Stacy. A character smorgasbord....
Next time: Hurried scenes, cheese and salty tears....
**SPOILERS...oh yes there are a few**
Going into the movie I had seen the trailers and knew that it ran the risk of too many villains/characters. I had anticipated this and the movie meet my expectations in every way.
The Sandman: His whole purpose in the film is to be the object of Peter's revenge because you see Flint Marko (aka Sandman) really killed Uncle Ben..accidentally..sorta. Yes Uncle Ben's death has become the Wayne parent's murder of the Spiderman movies, where it must be mentioned and brooded over in every damn movie. He's dead. Move on.
Unlike Norman Osborn or Doc Ock, villains you get to spend some time with, get to know, Flint has a big scene up front where he says to his wife and sick daughter, "I'm not a bad person, I've just had bad luck". And this is about as developed as this character ever gets.
Harry Osborn: As he tells Peter "You knew this was coming.." and indeed we did. Harry and Pete finally throw down over this whole "you killed my father" business. Setting aside the dorky costume papa Goblin wore and zooming around on a hoverboard from Treasure Planet, Harry gets an ass whoppin by his former best friend leaving him with amnesia. He doesn't remember Pete being Spidey, how to flip an omelet...nothing.
This could have been cool, I thought maybe that was it for new Goblin in this film at least. But a handful of scenes later his memory is fully back..... ok so what was the point of him forgetting? Harry gets lamer and more bizarre when in an attempt to do his father's wishes, to attack Peter by attacking his heart...he......makes Mary Jane break up with Peter. OMG Harry you are maniacal. I was waiting for him to then paint "Peter Sucks" on the side of a building. Yeah Harry I don't think that's what daddy had in mind.... more on him later.
The symbiote: I really wished Sam and company handled the symbiote differently. It doesn't really attach itself to Peter but one of his costumes. Essentially the symbiote becomes this giant stain on a costume that Peter can put on and take off. O-K. If I'm remembering the comic correctly the symbiote was always with him and when it was Spidey time it would cover him in the suit and he was ready to go.
In this film Peter keeps the stained costume in a trunk, which the symbiote seems ok with, pulling it out for those times when he......wants to be bad? I really don't know. If the symbiote increased his powers we never saw that, so I honestly don't know why he felt tempted to put it on...lock it up...ok ok one more time...no no lock it up. Had the symbiote always been on him, we would see him slowly losing himself to the dark side. By the end when he decides to rip off the symbiote, we would believe that it was really that bonded to him. The way the film handles it I wasn't really buying it....
Eddie Brock/Venom: I loved the Eddie character and if Sam wasn't trying to squeeze a 5 hour movie into 2 and half hours it would have been great to see more of him. He's the anti-Peter, more brash and cocky and more scenes between the two would have been cool. Now when Eddie becomes Venom the first thing he does before even going up against Parker is enlist the help of Sandman. Wow what a puss...your not even gonna try killing Spiderman by yourself....well ok. Venom enters the land of lame...
The battle between Spidey and Venom is pretty great though with the symbiote pulling back off Eddie's face so he can deliver some punchy taunts. Unfortunately the greatness comes to an end when Venom and Eddie get defeated and destroyed which in a phrase: pissed me off.
So we have Sandman, Harry, symbiote and Eddie/Venom. Also Gwen Stacy is introduced in this film and has absolutely nothing to do but look amazing in every scene. Everyone is fighting for screen time. Oh yeah Peter/Spidey and Mary Jane are in the movie too. Aunt May has a couple scenes. JJ Jameson gets a little screen time as does Gwen's dad Captain Stacy. A character smorgasbord....
Next time: Hurried scenes, cheese and salty tears....
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Baptisms and Beaches and Birthdays Oh My!!
The blog updates have been sparse lately and for good reason. We have been busy busy at the studio with Shrek 3 commercials for Dreamworks. I did a bunch o shots with Puss N Boots (who is my favoritest character in the Shrek universe) for Spanish television...a couple of which where in actual Spanish which was interesting. So I was jamming on those shots, trying to get 40 some seconds of animation done before heading out for vacation.
Yay vacation!!! And where do I go for a weeks vacation? Why Florida of course. Did you really have to ask. And a busy week of vacation it was.
First we attended the baptism of my brother's daughter, Little Miss Pretty Hair. It was the first time we got to meet her so that was fun and since she and Lil Pumpkin are super close in age they had lots to discuss.
I was asked to be her godfather and as such, I spent the day of the baptism making people offers they couldn't refuse and stuffing orange peels in my mouth. The usual godfather kind of things.
After baptism weekend 2007, we borrowed my dads SUV, packed it with a ton of beach gear and headed to Amelia Island, which is located on the Atlantic, near the border of Florida and Georgia.
Ah the beach. The crashing waves, the salty sea air....I love it. When I becoming uber rich, which should be any day now, I will be building a house on a beach someplace and there I will stay...for the rest of my natural life or until I get bored.
Wonder-pea loves the beach. She loves chasing the birds, splashing in the water and digging for buried treasure. One of my favorite moments of the whole trip was running with her on the beach, splashing in the surf and gasping for breath; I need to exercise more often I suppose.
After a few days of beach trip 2007 it was back to Orlando and on to Disney's Beach Club Resort. This is probably one of our most favoritest resorts at Disney World mainly because they have amazing sandy bottom pools and a beach..right there at the pool. Unfortunately its also an amazingly expensive place to stay, but since my parents are cast members at D-World they hooked us up with a discount...huzzah!!
We spent a fun day at the Beach Club pool where Wonder-pea chased birds, splashed in the water and dug for buried treasure all without the threat of being sucked out to sea. That night we went to dinner for Wonder-peas 4th birthday. We took her to a character dining place which means that Mickey and company will come around and interrupt your meal every ten minutes. It was all good though as Wonder-pea was super excited.
With birthday weekend 2007 complete it was time to head home. The flight back was less than ideal as Lil Pumpkin cried most of the way. At one point he was crying, Wonder-pea was crying, my wife was crying and I was buying up all the little alcohol bottles that were on board....and I was crying.
But we had a great time so the hellish return trip was worth it.
Yay vacation!!! And where do I go for a weeks vacation? Why Florida of course. Did you really have to ask. And a busy week of vacation it was.
First we attended the baptism of my brother's daughter, Little Miss Pretty Hair. It was the first time we got to meet her so that was fun and since she and Lil Pumpkin are super close in age they had lots to discuss.
I was asked to be her godfather and as such, I spent the day of the baptism making people offers they couldn't refuse and stuffing orange peels in my mouth. The usual godfather kind of things.
After baptism weekend 2007, we borrowed my dads SUV, packed it with a ton of beach gear and headed to Amelia Island, which is located on the Atlantic, near the border of Florida and Georgia.
Ah the beach. The crashing waves, the salty sea air....I love it. When I becoming uber rich, which should be any day now, I will be building a house on a beach someplace and there I will stay...for the rest of my natural life or until I get bored.
Wonder-pea loves the beach. She loves chasing the birds, splashing in the water and digging for buried treasure. One of my favorite moments of the whole trip was running with her on the beach, splashing in the surf and gasping for breath; I need to exercise more often I suppose.
After a few days of beach trip 2007 it was back to Orlando and on to Disney's Beach Club Resort. This is probably one of our most favoritest resorts at Disney World mainly because they have amazing sandy bottom pools and a beach..right there at the pool. Unfortunately its also an amazingly expensive place to stay, but since my parents are cast members at D-World they hooked us up with a discount...huzzah!!
We spent a fun day at the Beach Club pool where Wonder-pea chased birds, splashed in the water and dug for buried treasure all without the threat of being sucked out to sea. That night we went to dinner for Wonder-peas 4th birthday. We took her to a character dining place which means that Mickey and company will come around and interrupt your meal every ten minutes. It was all good though as Wonder-pea was super excited.
With birthday weekend 2007 complete it was time to head home. The flight back was less than ideal as Lil Pumpkin cried most of the way. At one point he was crying, Wonder-pea was crying, my wife was crying and I was buying up all the little alcohol bottles that were on board....and I was crying.
But we had a great time so the hellish return trip was worth it.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Liquid Death
Texas weather is famous for its heat and it storms of death. Typically the storms come first and you go "My god...no more rain and swirling death clouds!" the weather hears you, the rains go away and the killer heat comes. Yay.
Yesterday my wife called me at work to tell me that a band of liquid death was making its way across the metroplex. Rain, hail, frogs, locust the typical stuff. I guessed that I could probably beat the storm and hurried to my car to race home.
The drive home wasn't bad until I got near the house. Curse my metal body I wasn't fast enough. It wasn't as bad as other times. Once I was driving home in a storm and the sky was so dark and aqua blue that it looked like I was driving on the ocean floor. Remember in Price of Egypt when they are walking through the parted Red Sea? Whales and whatnot could be seen swimming in the water walls. Well on that day if I had seen a whale swimming through the aqua blue scariness...I would not have been surprised.
But that was different storm. This one was grey skies with a hint of black. Reports kept breaking in on the radio that tornadoes were spotted in the area. They were knocking over trash cans, harassing old people and being all around unruly. I would need to be careful.
Up to this point in my drive I was traveling at about 120 mph as was most everyone else because if your gonna get sucked up in a giant tornado you don't want to be in your car. Strapping yourself to a pipe in a shed filled with sharp objects is the preferred way....just ask Bill Paxton.
But as the rain and wind picked up, the traffic slowed. I was nearly home so I wasn't too worried and after witnessing some super crazy lightning I hurried into the garage and then into the house.
My wife and the kids were camped out in the closet with flashlights and blankets. I wondered if I should be yanking mattresses off of beds to "shield" us from the debris; we had no metal pipe or sharp objects laying around so I was improvising. Before dismantling the bedroom I took a quick look at the radar and saw this:
Yikes and yikes. But oddly enough, as I was building our mattress fort (complete with draw bridge) the clouds broke, the sun came out and life was back to normal. The liquid death had passed us by...this time...dun dun DUUUUUN.
Yesterday my wife called me at work to tell me that a band of liquid death was making its way across the metroplex. Rain, hail, frogs, locust the typical stuff. I guessed that I could probably beat the storm and hurried to my car to race home.
The drive home wasn't bad until I got near the house. Curse my metal body I wasn't fast enough. It wasn't as bad as other times. Once I was driving home in a storm and the sky was so dark and aqua blue that it looked like I was driving on the ocean floor. Remember in Price of Egypt when they are walking through the parted Red Sea? Whales and whatnot could be seen swimming in the water walls. Well on that day if I had seen a whale swimming through the aqua blue scariness...I would not have been surprised.
But that was different storm. This one was grey skies with a hint of black. Reports kept breaking in on the radio that tornadoes were spotted in the area. They were knocking over trash cans, harassing old people and being all around unruly. I would need to be careful.
Up to this point in my drive I was traveling at about 120 mph as was most everyone else because if your gonna get sucked up in a giant tornado you don't want to be in your car. Strapping yourself to a pipe in a shed filled with sharp objects is the preferred way....just ask Bill Paxton.
But as the rain and wind picked up, the traffic slowed. I was nearly home so I wasn't too worried and after witnessing some super crazy lightning I hurried into the garage and then into the house.
My wife and the kids were camped out in the closet with flashlights and blankets. I wondered if I should be yanking mattresses off of beds to "shield" us from the debris; we had no metal pipe or sharp objects laying around so I was improvising. Before dismantling the bedroom I took a quick look at the radar and saw this:
Yikes and yikes. But oddly enough, as I was building our mattress fort (complete with draw bridge) the clouds broke, the sun came out and life was back to normal. The liquid death had passed us by...this time...dun dun DUUUUUN.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Ooopsie
A few days ago I missed an important anniversary. My blog and I have been together for two whole years as of March 26!! Yes it's true. And I completely forgot to congratulate it or buy it a gift. It's funny, because on Monday the blog was acting kind of moody. I had made a post about Ninja Turtles and it was sort of looking at me...like "is that all?" So I added an image to the turtles post and looked back at the blog with a confused....."what?"
Tuesday it gave me the silent treatment all day. Any attempt to strike up a conversation with the blog was met with harsh glares. The word "jerk" kept appearing in the comments section of older posts.
All day Wednesday and Thursday it locked itself away and wouldn't let me post anything. I could hear it talking to Google and YouTube. Was it crying? It was sort of hard to tell. We have had fights in the past like when we upgraded to beta, but this was different.
Finally tonight I remembered. And after begging the blogs forgiveness and making it promises that I don't intend to keep, we toasted two fun years of providing written nonsense to the lucky people of the digital age.
Tuesday it gave me the silent treatment all day. Any attempt to strike up a conversation with the blog was met with harsh glares. The word "jerk" kept appearing in the comments section of older posts.
All day Wednesday and Thursday it locked itself away and wouldn't let me post anything. I could hear it talking to Google and YouTube. Was it crying? It was sort of hard to tell. We have had fights in the past like when we upgraded to beta, but this was different.
Finally tonight I remembered. And after begging the blogs forgiveness and making it promises that I don't intend to keep, we toasted two fun years of providing written nonsense to the lucky people of the digital age.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Heroes in a Half Shell
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles opened this weekend to the tune of $25 million dollars. Not too shabby. I have yet to see the finished film but folks who have, have really enjoyed it. Turtle Power!I now have my reel for Turtles up in the animation area. I only did a handful of shots (my reel shows all but 1 shot I did) as ReelFx was charged with completing only a couple minutes of footage. Maybe I will get to do more on the sequel ;)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
At World's End...Now in English
I'm really digging this trailer. The duel on the mast of the Black Pearl is awesome...of course the trailer for Dead Man's Chest was pretty killer, yet the movie disappointed me on various levels. I enjoy DMC now, but yeah I left the theater feeling a little unsatisfied with the 2nd installment. Still, I'm jazzed about the new film.
Monday, March 19, 2007
How Be Yer Russian?
Yes this week the first trailer for Pirates 3 is finally being released; someone at Disney realized the film opens in 2 months. Already the trailer is on YouTube...but in Russian. Looks cool though! Here's opening it recaptures the spirit of fun lacking from the 2nd installment.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Spam
If you have ever emailed me off my web site you most likely sent mail to me@raymation.net. This alias actual sent your email to my aol account which is all fine and dandy. However, I have noticed that the spam filter on aol has been a tad too aggressive, tossing none spam emails, emails sent through the "me" alias, into the spam folder.
I tried adjusting the filter settings but it is like a big, crazy, drooling St. Bernard, operating in one of two moods. Mode 1: aggressive and frightening, marking friendly emails as hostile. Mode 2: sleeps in the corner and lets everything in.
Since I don't have time to scan the hordes of spam looking for legitimate emails, I am changing the site email to raymation@hotmail.com. If you have ever emailed me and never gotten a response, it may not be because I don't like you, it may be in fact, that your email was flagged as spam and was purged.
I tried adjusting the filter settings but it is like a big, crazy, drooling St. Bernard, operating in one of two moods. Mode 1: aggressive and frightening, marking friendly emails as hostile. Mode 2: sleeps in the corner and lets everything in.
Since I don't have time to scan the hordes of spam looking for legitimate emails, I am changing the site email to raymation@hotmail.com. If you have ever emailed me and never gotten a response, it may not be because I don't like you, it may be in fact, that your email was flagged as spam and was purged.
Friday, March 16, 2007
New Designs
So I added a couple designs to My Shop based off a couple DrawerGeeks submissions. Yes its true. Spring is almost here and what better way to say "Happy Spring" to a friend or loved one, than with a gift of a giant robot shirt.
Perhaps giant robots frighten and scare you; that's understandable since giant robots are evil by nature. Maybe a non-threatening, mostly less evil caveman shirt would be more your speed.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Friendly Skies
This weekend we went up to Maryland to visit my wife's family. I love to travel. And I love to travel by air. However, for me, plane travel is usually pretty stressful. Sure I have the fleeting concern that something important might fall off the plane mid flight. And how can you not get on a plane without thinking, at least momentarily, about 9/11. But most of my stress...say 90%... occurs before I even step board on the plane.
The first big obstacle is getting to the airport on time. I am most always convinced that we are going to miss our flight. No matter how much time we allow, we always seem to leave the house "late". This was the case when it was the two of us and has gotten progressively worse with the addition of each child. So right as we leave the house I am having mild freak outs.
With self check in that portion of the experience has gotten less stressful, only to be replaced by the enhanced security screenings. Many times the lines can be reeeeeeaaalllly long which heightens my anxiety about missing the flight. On top of that, once we reach the security check, the stress rises as I try to keep track of all our stuff. This trip was particularly bad because it was the first plane trip for the four of us.
Lil Pumpkins stroller and car seat needed to be put on the belt. My bag, my shoes, my jacket, the baby bag, the wife's bag, shoes, purse.....ok you go through with the baby..Wonder pea stay with me...how many bins do we have...four....dear god...ok Wonder pea stay right there while I put these on the belt....ok now lets walk through..."Sir she needs to talk off her shoes"...oh right i forgot her shoes....."and her jacket"...right right ok...(this after Wonder pea went through the detector and then came back around to me...she did that twice)....ok everything is off and we both go through, Wonder pea now being scanned for the 3rd time...she wanted to go back for a forth...
Ok now that THAT is over we get to collect our four bins, stroller and car seat and put ourselves back together.
Whew ok....the big, huge amounts of stress are now behind us. We are here, through security, we have time to spare and oh good, our plane isn't even here yet.
So begins the next stressful part of the trip: the actual flight.
This was a 2 and a half hour flight and Lil Pumpkins first flight; it could go either way. This could be super stressful or moderately so; even if the kids are fine the whole trip, you have no idea IF this will be the case...so you are on high alert for when they may suddenly get nutty.
Fortunately the kids getting nutty were across the isle. Lil Pumpkin was pretty laid back the whole time. Although why do babies like to load up their diapers minutes into a flight? It's like they are challenging the parents. So caaaan you.....change my poo while on a plane with only inches of room while being very subtle as to not alert other passengers as to what you are doing .....hummm...riddle me that Batman??! Anyways he was great and Wonder pea only had a small melt down when we were descending; the air pressure does a job on her ears.
So yay! We didn't miss our flight, we made it through security with all our junk, the kids didn't freak out on the flight and nothing important fell off the plane in mid air!! Good trip!
The first big obstacle is getting to the airport on time. I am most always convinced that we are going to miss our flight. No matter how much time we allow, we always seem to leave the house "late". This was the case when it was the two of us and has gotten progressively worse with the addition of each child. So right as we leave the house I am having mild freak outs.
With self check in that portion of the experience has gotten less stressful, only to be replaced by the enhanced security screenings. Many times the lines can be reeeeeeaaalllly long which heightens my anxiety about missing the flight. On top of that, once we reach the security check, the stress rises as I try to keep track of all our stuff. This trip was particularly bad because it was the first plane trip for the four of us.
Lil Pumpkins stroller and car seat needed to be put on the belt. My bag, my shoes, my jacket, the baby bag, the wife's bag, shoes, purse.....ok you go through with the baby..Wonder pea stay with me...how many bins do we have...four....dear god...ok Wonder pea stay right there while I put these on the belt....ok now lets walk through..."Sir she needs to talk off her shoes"...oh right i forgot her shoes....."and her jacket"...right right ok...(this after Wonder pea went through the detector and then came back around to me...she did that twice)....ok everything is off and we both go through, Wonder pea now being scanned for the 3rd time...she wanted to go back for a forth...
Ok now that THAT is over we get to collect our four bins, stroller and car seat and put ourselves back together.
Whew ok....the big, huge amounts of stress are now behind us. We are here, through security, we have time to spare and oh good, our plane isn't even here yet.
So begins the next stressful part of the trip: the actual flight.
This was a 2 and a half hour flight and Lil Pumpkins first flight; it could go either way. This could be super stressful or moderately so; even if the kids are fine the whole trip, you have no idea IF this will be the case...so you are on high alert for when they may suddenly get nutty.
Fortunately the kids getting nutty were across the isle. Lil Pumpkin was pretty laid back the whole time. Although why do babies like to load up their diapers minutes into a flight? It's like they are challenging the parents. So caaaan you.....change my poo while on a plane with only inches of room while being very subtle as to not alert other passengers as to what you are doing .....hummm...riddle me that Batman??! Anyways he was great and Wonder pea only had a small melt down when we were descending; the air pressure does a job on her ears.
So yay! We didn't miss our flight, we made it through security with all our junk, the kids didn't freak out on the flight and nothing important fell off the plane in mid air!! Good trip!
Friday, February 23, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Worship the Sun
This past Sunday I spent most of the day outside doing work around the yard; cutting back trees, cleaning up leaves and general frolicking about. It was awesome to finally be outside for some length of time without freezing.
Yes I live in Texas and I said freezing.
We have lived here for nearly 7 years and this was the worst winter I have experienced. Rain, snow, ice and wind; we had it all. Usually the crap weather lasts for a few weeks. This year it seemed like months....MONTHS of winter....my god what kind of world am I living in.
Those who know me, know that I don't like to wear pants. I am more of a year round shorts guy. This winter I had to wear pants at least a dosen times..oh the horror! My criteria for wearing pants is this: if I get up and its below freezing and/or snowing then I can not possibly wear shorts. Many times I woke up to temperatures in the teens and twenties. Brrrr
But now that untapped resource of power and warmth is shining brightly down upon us. And in a few short months it will becoming increasingly unbearable, burning my flesh and causing pets to exploded. Then the cursing of the sun will begin.
Yes I live in Texas and I said freezing.
We have lived here for nearly 7 years and this was the worst winter I have experienced. Rain, snow, ice and wind; we had it all. Usually the crap weather lasts for a few weeks. This year it seemed like months....MONTHS of winter....my god what kind of world am I living in.
Those who know me, know that I don't like to wear pants. I am more of a year round shorts guy. This winter I had to wear pants at least a dosen times..oh the horror! My criteria for wearing pants is this: if I get up and its below freezing and/or snowing then I can not possibly wear shorts. Many times I woke up to temperatures in the teens and twenties. Brrrr
But now that untapped resource of power and warmth is shining brightly down upon us. And in a few short months it will becoming increasingly unbearable, burning my flesh and causing pets to exploded. Then the cursing of the sun will begin.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Throwing Up Is Fun
I don't watch the Family Guy with any regularity. Ok I never watch the Family Guy..there I said it..but this clip sends me into fits of crazy laughter pretty much every time I've watched it. The first time I saw it, which was some time ago as the clip has been around awhile, I could not see because my eyes where streaming with tears. And then I threw up.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Robots in Disguise
This week we wrap animation on game cinematics for Transformers the Game. With Ninja Turtles and now Transformers, I'm getting to work with some of the characters I enjoyed watching on the TV in me younger days. Could Starblazers and Ultra-man be far behind?I'm not sure the release date of the game, although the official site is up. Don't get too excited though, as there really isn't anything there yet.
Once the game is released I will post some of my shots. I did one with Optimus saying his famous line "Autobots...transform and roll out", which was uber geeky cool. I am very glad, like most fans, that Peter Cullen is reprising his famous voice for the film.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Rapunzel
Here is the first footage I have seen from Disney's upcoming animated film. The animation really feels like a throw back to the 2D style. And I am really digging the facial animation; the squash and stretch is very nice. I also like the visual look as it is more painterly than most CG.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Ratatouille Animation Test...No Really
So it was up and then it was removed and now it seems that the good folks at Disney/Pixar have "officially" made this test available. I say good for them! Don't be afraid of the YouTube...embrace it and whisper sweet nothings in it's ear...it is your friend.
Of course the words Property of Pixar are annoyingly place right above the characters head...I want to watch the animation but my eyes...my eyes are drawn to these words. That's what I get for learning to read.
Of course the words Property of Pixar are annoyingly place right above the characters head...I want to watch the animation but my eyes...my eyes are drawn to these words. That's what I get for learning to read.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Ratatouille Test Animation
Here's a fun piece of animation featuring one of the characters from the upcoming film Ratatouille. Since it's not a scene from the movie, Disney/Pixar security teams may let it slide....or....they will beat YouTube with a giant stick of justice.
**Update: Wow that didn't take long. Yes the movie has been removed at the request of Disney. I appreciate the whole copyright issue, however you would think that they would embrace the free advertising thing; it wasn't a scene from the movie afterall. If I was Disney, I would release these clips myself....they end up on blogs and make their way around the internet very quickly...free advertising baby! Oh well...
**Update: Wow that didn't take long. Yes the movie has been removed at the request of Disney. I appreciate the whole copyright issue, however you would think that they would embrace the free advertising thing; it wasn't a scene from the movie afterall. If I was Disney, I would release these clips myself....they end up on blogs and make their way around the internet very quickly...free advertising baby! Oh well...
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Shrek the Third Trailer
Here is the new trailer for Shrek the Third. I must admit that I enjoy the first Shrek less and less with each viewing, however I still enjoy Shrek 2 quite a lot; I think the addition of Puss N Boots helped. This 3rd installment looks fun, I laughed quite a few times during this new trailer.
Monday, February 05, 2007
It's Not Easy Being a Baby
As cool as it is to be a baby, there are a few things that stink about being one.
The inability to control your own head. Yes try as you might to look around and see the world, your large noggin wobbles and jerks violently to the point of damn near snapping your own neck.
The inability to control your arms. You can't point or really grab anything yet so all your arms are good for is flailing. Many times you will hit yourself in the face which can really piss you off. On the plus side, they are pretty cool to stare at.
Lack of mobility. Pretty much where ever your servants place you...there you are. Too bright in this room? Don't really feel like hanging in the crib right now? Too bad squirt. Unitl you coordinate those motor skills, your stuck.
Limited diet. Sometimes you could go for a steak or maybe some chocolate cake but oh no. It's milk all day, everyday.
Language barrier. You want your favorite blank....your screaming "Blanket!!" but since your servants only hear "waaaahhh", you are left annoyed and frustrated....and with no blanket.
Diaper rash. A chaffed bottom is an unhappy bottom. Period.
The inability to control your own head. Yes try as you might to look around and see the world, your large noggin wobbles and jerks violently to the point of damn near snapping your own neck.
The inability to control your arms. You can't point or really grab anything yet so all your arms are good for is flailing. Many times you will hit yourself in the face which can really piss you off. On the plus side, they are pretty cool to stare at.
Lack of mobility. Pretty much where ever your servants place you...there you are. Too bright in this room? Don't really feel like hanging in the crib right now? Too bad squirt. Unitl you coordinate those motor skills, your stuck.
Limited diet. Sometimes you could go for a steak or maybe some chocolate cake but oh no. It's milk all day, everyday.
Language barrier. You want your favorite blank....your screaming "Blanket!!" but since your servants only hear "waaaahhh", you are left annoyed and frustrated....and with no blanket.
Diaper rash. A chaffed bottom is an unhappy bottom. Period.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
It's Great To Be A Baby!
Lil Pumpkin turned 3 months this past weekend; where does the time go. The acid reflux that was making the little man really, really angry has been under control for awhile and he is quite a pleasant little dude to be around.
Recently I got to thinking about the awesomeness it is to be a baby:
The first really cool thing is that in many cases you get your own room; it is from here that you will rule your kingdom. Wow I just got here and I have my own place. Is that my name on the blanket? Nice. I'm not really into the duckies, but the bunnies and frogs are pretty cool. Yes this will do nicely.
Whenever you want anything....anything you just go "Hey...I'm hungry" or "Hey my pants are wet" which in the baby native tongue is "Wahhhh" or "nnnnnYYYaaHH" and instantly people are jumping around you taking care of your every need. That's pretty sweet.
Zero responsibilities. Absolutely nothing is expected from you. Don't feel like doing much today? Kick back and relax.
You can go to sleep pretty much anytime and anywhere and someone will take care of putting you in a bed. Out shopping with the larger humans and getting tired? Close those eyes and go to sleep...your servants will take care of the rest.
Much like sleep, you can go to the bathroom whenever you like as well. No racing around to find a bathroom. You need to go.....go. Feeling gassy? Let it out as loud as you'd like, preferably when it's really quiet...like in church....what do you care. Hey I'm a baby over here.
Lots of live entertainment. Your servants not only like to wait on you, but they also like to make faces and jump around like monkeys in the hope that you will grace them with a smile, chuckle or laugh. If you get bored or don't like the performance just close your eyes and go to sleep; there will be another show later.
Yes it's great to be a baby!
Next time: the things that suck about being a baby
Recently I got to thinking about the awesomeness it is to be a baby:
The first really cool thing is that in many cases you get your own room; it is from here that you will rule your kingdom. Wow I just got here and I have my own place. Is that my name on the blanket? Nice. I'm not really into the duckies, but the bunnies and frogs are pretty cool. Yes this will do nicely.
Whenever you want anything....anything you just go "Hey...I'm hungry" or "Hey my pants are wet" which in the baby native tongue is "Wahhhh" or "nnnnnYYYaaHH" and instantly people are jumping around you taking care of your every need. That's pretty sweet.
Zero responsibilities. Absolutely nothing is expected from you. Don't feel like doing much today? Kick back and relax.
You can go to sleep pretty much anytime and anywhere and someone will take care of putting you in a bed. Out shopping with the larger humans and getting tired? Close those eyes and go to sleep...your servants will take care of the rest.
Much like sleep, you can go to the bathroom whenever you like as well. No racing around to find a bathroom. You need to go.....go. Feeling gassy? Let it out as loud as you'd like, preferably when it's really quiet...like in church....what do you care. Hey I'm a baby over here.
Lots of live entertainment. Your servants not only like to wait on you, but they also like to make faces and jump around like monkeys in the hope that you will grace them with a smile, chuckle or laugh. If you get bored or don't like the performance just close your eyes and go to sleep; there will be another show later.
Yes it's great to be a baby!
Next time: the things that suck about being a baby
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Price Check on FUN!!!
My Shop is now open for business..yes it's true. My goal is to update it regularly....of course I also had the goal of running in the Disney World Marathon and that has yet to happen, so we will see how it goes. The intent is there...Grab your shopping cart or "buggy" has some people here in Texas say, and check out what glorious items await you in My Shop.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Caveman
Here is this weeks DrawerGeeks submission. I went a little more simple this week, trying to go for a cave painting sort of feel.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Sith Apprentice
I haven't watched The Apprentice since season 2; the show become too self aware for my tastes. But if they did a season like this clip, then I would most likely have to tune in again.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Kevin Smith Talks Superman
Someone had sent this to me a couple years ago and I just recently rediscovered it on YouTube.
Back when WB was looking to restart the Superman franchise, Kevin Smith was brought in to write a few drafts. His tale of that experience is not only very funny and very entertaining, but serves as a little window into how movies get made in Hollywood.
And we wonder why Hollywood puts out so much crap? It is about 20 minutes long but SO worth it if you have the time.
WARNING: MATURE LANGUAGE......cover your ears kids.
Back when WB was looking to restart the Superman franchise, Kevin Smith was brought in to write a few drafts. His tale of that experience is not only very funny and very entertaining, but serves as a little window into how movies get made in Hollywood.
And we wonder why Hollywood puts out so much crap? It is about 20 minutes long but SO worth it if you have the time.
WARNING: MATURE LANGUAGE......cover your ears kids.
Monday, January 01, 2007
The Year That Was.....
Happy New Year peoples! Gone is the that wacky year that was 2006.....and I thought 2005 was wacky. Year '05 was riddled with lots of minor bumps in the road as we had a string of minor bad luck. Add in the encounters with the ginormous possum and the mouse in the house , I was more than ready to get to 2006...because 2006 just had to be a better year.
Two major things happened in 2006 both residing on opposite ends of the spectrum. The good: the birth of my son. Yep Lil Pumpkin was the big, bright happy spot of 2006. The bad: losing my job and watching all my friends move all over the place. That was the big "suck" that started in February (when we were first told of the upcoming suckiness) and continued until I started my new job in August. For those of you playing at home that is 6 months of suck.
To cheer me up during the suck months I took in a couple movies, not many, just a few. I don't think I saw a single film this year that I really enjoyed on all levels. Even Pirates and Superman managed to let me down in various ways. The best thing I saw was Walk the Line on DVD and that came out the previous year. To add insult to injury Ant Bully opened and was a financial flop...sigh. So movies were a bummer for me in 2006.
But amid all the gloom of 2006 there was some bright spots. As mentioned Lil Pumpkin is the super nova of 2006. I'm at a new job and really enjoying it, I've made new friends this year as well as keeping in touch with the ol work gang which makes me happy.
In 2006 I also became involved with Animation Mentor which has been a great experience. And I started drawing again thanks to getting involved with Drawer Geeks.
So while it is true some sucktacular things happened in 2006, a lot of good things happened as well...and I didn't die which is always a plus.
Hopefully good things await in 2007.
Two major things happened in 2006 both residing on opposite ends of the spectrum. The good: the birth of my son. Yep Lil Pumpkin was the big, bright happy spot of 2006. The bad: losing my job and watching all my friends move all over the place. That was the big "suck" that started in February (when we were first told of the upcoming suckiness) and continued until I started my new job in August. For those of you playing at home that is 6 months of suck.
To cheer me up during the suck months I took in a couple movies, not many, just a few. I don't think I saw a single film this year that I really enjoyed on all levels. Even Pirates and Superman managed to let me down in various ways. The best thing I saw was Walk the Line on DVD and that came out the previous year. To add insult to injury Ant Bully opened and was a financial flop...sigh. So movies were a bummer for me in 2006.
But amid all the gloom of 2006 there was some bright spots. As mentioned Lil Pumpkin is the super nova of 2006. I'm at a new job and really enjoying it, I've made new friends this year as well as keeping in touch with the ol work gang which makes me happy.
In 2006 I also became involved with Animation Mentor which has been a great experience. And I started drawing again thanks to getting involved with Drawer Geeks.
So while it is true some sucktacular things happened in 2006, a lot of good things happened as well...and I didn't die which is always a plus.
Hopefully good things await in 2007.
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