Time

Wow, if those noises were what I think it was, soft-boiled eggs take longer. Poor thing.

[Update] I was right. That kid was practicing the violin and s/he should've been practicing longer.

Well, Whaddya Know...

Turns out that something will make Republicans actually vote for cloture (that is, to end the filibuster) on minimum wage.

Quote from CNN:

A week after the GOP-led Senate rejected an increase to the minimum wage, Senate Democrats on Tuesday vowed to block pay raises for members of Congress until the minimum wage is increased.

And lo and behold, "cloture suddenly passed by a vote of 87-10."

No, they haven't voted yet on the minimum wage. I'll say something here if they do.

BTW, I don't always agree with Harry Reid on issues, but hot damn, this guy knows how to grab the opposition's balls and make them listen.

Worse Than I Thought

Yesterday I listed 43 senators who voted AGAINST RAISING MINIMUM WAGE.

Today I found out that of those 43 senators, 28 of them ALSO voted TO ELIMINATE MINIMUM WAGE. Of these 28 esteemed people who apparently believe in SLAVE WAGES, about 14 of them are considering running for presidency.

And yes, John McCain voted against raising the minimum wage AND voted to eliminate minimum wage altogether.

I got the names through Atrios, who got them from BobGeiger.com but here's the names in case you didn't want to click through the link:
* Alexander (R-TN)
* Allard (R-CO)
* Bennett (R-UT)
* Bond (R-MO)
* Brownback (R-KS)
* Bunning (R-KY)
* Burr (R-NC)
* Chambliss (R-GA)
* Coburn (R-OK)
* Cochran (R-MS)
* Cornyn (R-TX)
* Craig (R-ID)
* Crapo (R-ID)
* DeMint (R-SC)
* Ensign (R-NV)
* Enzi (R-WY)
* Graham (R-SC)
* Gregg (R-NH)
* Hagel (R-NE)
* Hatch (R-UT)
* Inhofe (R-OK)
* Isakson (R-GA)
* Kyl (R-AZ)
* Lott (R-MS)
* McCain (R-AZ)
* McConnell (R-KY)
* Sununu (R-NH)
* Thomas (R-WY)

Remember these assholes y'all. These are people who don't believe in equality for all. (Wonder how many of them voted for the fence too).

Pavlov's Dog

Isn't it amazing that grown people could be made to react like Pavlov's dog? I've been watching this phenomenon happen with someone for almost a year, and it's unbelievable. Kind of pitiful, actually, especially since the person has no idea that the slobbering from the mouth was induced.

Still, I cannot help but be fascinated and wonder how long this could go on.

Pay Off

Last night was my final for Comp. 1

Basically we had three weeks to do our matte painting (midterm) and two weeks to do our animation (final). I spent two of the three weeks freaking out about my matte painting. I wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly and even had plans of doing two, just in case.

After our midterm the instructor put our grades up, and there were two people that got a 22/25 on the matte painting. To my surprise, I was one of the two! I really thought I had done the assignment incorrectly, but everyone ket telling me along the way that my painting looked really good, and they couldn't wait to see it finished. I'm glad I indulged them and finished it, I couldn't have been happier with my grade.

I spent two grueling weeks (well actually five hardly sleeping weeks) working on my final. Over the term I had gone in to school early, basically staying and working at the school over thirteen hours on some days. I was pretty happy with my final by the time it was done, and last night we critiqued everyone's final. Imagine my elation to discover that my animation was the best!!!

Throught this term I've been on a roller coaster about my abilities. There would be times when despair would hit and I would doubt myself too the point of a mini depression. I can't thank Idealist enough for her love and support. When I was in a downward spiral, she was there to point out how determined I am and how usually when I'm determined I'm successful. She calmed a lot of my fears, and often brightened my day. After the success I had this term, I'm hoping that she won't have to deal with me in that frame of mind again.

I wanted to be the best and I was the best last term!!!!

FYI Who Voted Against Raising Minimum Wage

Remember these assholes. Remember to vote them out of office as soon as you can. These are people who don't care about America and its people; they only care about corporations - why else would they hold up the vote unless a tax break for corporations was included in the bill?

NAYs ---43
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)

These people work for the corporations, not you. Remember this when it comes time to vote.

The Wandering Sleep-Deprived Mind

A while ago I was pondering, how does one know what truth is, when two people can view the same thing, and yet have two completely opposing interpretations. For instance, "The Colbert Report," some people who watch it actually believe he IS the character he's playing and agree wholeheartedly with his outlook, other people believe that he is an entertainer, doing just that, entertaining. Another example would be "Moral Oral." Although, in that show they're intention is extremely clear.

I've determined that it is much like the cave theory. You start out tied up in a cave facing a wall, on which shadows are presented, and that is what you know, and that is what you believe. You do not understand that what you are looking at are shadows on a wall until you find a way to free yourself from the restraints, turn around, and climb out of the cave. Hopefully, you'd attempt to help the other's that are in the cave with you, before you depart.

With this theory in viewing something and having two completely opposing opinions, there is possibility that one person is still believing in shadows and the other person is recognizing that something else is creating the shadows and has sought the source of those shadows.

When I was finally feeling comfortable with this as an acceptable answer for the time being, resigned pointed out to me that there is no law that says there is only one cave.

That started bothering me too much and since then I've moved on to a new philosophical dilemma. But before I get into that, I must say it is interesting to me, that the situations I find myself in can lead me on a journey through questions that have been pondered, probably even before Plato, and Socrates. This new dilemma, broken down to its simplest form is:

How does the person who strives to be virtuous deal with injustice?

You see, I'm worried that my wall of good-faith and positivity concerning something has started to crumble. The other day something was brought to my attention and my mind was able to produce lamentable answers to my query of whys, which caused an earthquake under my wall and definetly unhinged a few bricks.

Anger had struck resigned a lot earlier than me, and all the while I kept playing devil's advocate, trying to shove a different (more positive) perspective down her throat (which probably wasn't smart of me, but I hate thinking illy, especially about other people, we're all in this cave together), but now she has found serenity, and I'm nearly livid. I feel there is nothing I can do, short of immediate satisfaction (which will probably be regretted later down the line and make me feel like a nefarious person), and still feel good about myself.

I think, perhaps in typing this out my tired brain has shown me the answer to my question.

Now if I could have enough time to get some sleep! I'm working extremely hard to be valedictorian!

Five Adobe Training Weeks

I've been really, really... did I say REALLY busy, these past few months. I'm re-organizing a bunch of things in my life to try and see if I can create the illusion that there just might be more than twenty-four hours in a day. In the mean time, I've been wanting to put up a little of the stuff I've been working on so far.

Here's one of the websites I created. It has a lot of animation on it, and probably needs a pre-loader, so hopefully you have a semi-fast internet connection, if you're inclined to check it out. Sometimes the artwork on the artwork section doesn't load (I did mention I should put a pre-loader on it, sometimes this can be fixed by navigating away from the artwork page and then back to it again). This site was hand drawn and completely done in Macromedia Flash. The other site I made this term, in Adobe Photoshop isn't live, so no link for you.

This was an assignment for my compositing class that I thought turned out well. I'm putting it up as a link, because I don't have time to rescale things and make them pretty, maybe one day I'll come back to it. Anyway, the images you see on the left are what I was given, and the image on the right is what I created. The image was created entirely in adobe photoshop, including the rain! The hardest part for me to complete for this image was turning the lights on.

This was an assignment for my concept and imaging class, we had to colorize a line drawing. I decided to take this assignment a little further and put my character in a scene. The image was created entirely in adobe illustrator, aside from retracing the line drawing, all other aspects in the image where hand drawn (basically not traced). The hardest thing for me to complete for this image was adding perspective (the fence).

The next five weeks - Maya!!!

Karmic Reasons

I had to get a document notarized today, and then get it certified by the County Clerk's office, and then the Secretary of State's office. The document was notarized, then when I went to get it certified, the county clerk's office noticed the seal was missing. So I had to turn around, go back and get the seal, then back to the county clerk's office.

Bratworse and I were trying to figure out why the universe wanted things the way they were when at the Secretary of State's office, there was a guy there who didn't speak much English and had to get the same stuff done as I had, only his set of documents were incomplete.

Since I had the addresses of everyone, I spoke to him in Chinese, directing him to the Alameda County Clerk's office.

Then I turned to Bratworse and said, "That's why the Universe wanted us here later."

Karma, Fate, whatever you want to call her, is a tough mistress. You'll never know her reasons but you can spot when someone's about to make huge Karmic mistakes.

I feel really bad for someone I know who is about to make a huge Karmic mistake. The universe will end up making this person's life a living hell for years to come, and when the anguished cry of "Why me?" comes along, all it will get her is another kick in the teeth.

Isn't It Amazing...

How the opening strains of a song just immediately transports you to a different place and time?

My iTunes randomly selected The Carpenters' "Those Good Old Dreams" and I was at once in a smoky bar, looking around for a dance partner to two-step with. The DJ for Floyd's, a country western gay bar in Long Beach, LOVED The Carpenters and always played this song at least once a night.

I had a bad crush on one of the 6 Kim's that frequented Floyd's (yes, there really were six of them and my roommates had nicknames for all six - Kim the Clogger, Tonya's Kim, Pretty Kim, Kim the Cook, etc.) and I always sought this particular Kim out for this song. In some ways, those were the good ol' days, though I really don't miss the early morning hours of worshipping the porcelain goddess.

Reading over the lyrics, I'm struck by how optimistic this song is. I'm more used to their world-is-getting-me-down songs. Anyway, it's a very graceful song, and makes for a really graceful two-step, which most CW dancers don't really do - it IS much easier to stomp with a shitkicker than to dance smoothly and gracefully.

I miss Floyd's sometimes, especially when I hear this song, the Judd's Girls Night Out (Friday nights were dyke nights and of course the DJ played this song EVERY friday night), k.d. lang's Full Moon of Love, and K.T. Oslin's Hey Bobby.

Weird, I was able to find lyrics for everything except k.d. lang's song. Even now, she's being lesbocotted. *sigh*

I Crack Myself Up

The other day, I emailed a friend, offering our help to paint their house in time for their new baby.

I wrote, "How can you refuse help from two Wii-bodied lesbos offering to channel the Karate Kid?"

That line's been cracking me up for five days now.

Yes, I've been told by many that I'm easily amused. Thank you.

Call Him George

I know, judging from the title, I'm going to write about Bush again but you're wrong!

Bratworse loves loves loves our kitty so much that she reminds me of the old Warner Brothers cartoon where a girl just loves her pet soooo much, it keeps running away scared. The girl says "I want to love him, and squeeze him and pet him, and call him George!"

Our kitty Gizi will try and squeeze out of Bratworse's hold sometimes, as she smothers the furball with kisses. Gizi will come whenever I call her, because I usually reward her with tons of love when she does show up, but not overwhelming love. With Bratworse, Gizi never knows whether she's getting a snack, or getting asked to play, or getting smothered with love, or it's just Bratworse testing to see if Gizi will show up.

One day, I'll throw up a picture of Gizi getting inundated with hugs. You tell me if the Giz is trying to escape. LOL

Not Good

Too many blogs I'm reading are seeing signs of war against Iran - why else, they posit, would they put a Navy man in charge of a ground war unless the ground war escalates to encompass a naval war? And if so, where would the naval war take place? Hmm, which countries did Bush name last night?

Read The Washington Note, Hullabaloo, Talking Points Memo and others if you don't believe me.

And by the way, these are the SANE guys who thought before our invasion of Iraq, that ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda are tenuous at best, that there are no WMDs, that invading Iraq would unstablize the region and invite terrorism there.

And doesn't the timing of our seizure of the Iranian consulate in Iraq just a little too convenient after Bush's speech last night?

Starting Posts

I've started numerous posts in the past few days, without finishing a single one. Most of the time, the posts were interesting only to me, and knowing that, I nixed them. Some of them had no point, and therefore, rambled on, until sentences were neither here nor there nor had any direction. Nixed those too.

Writing has always been like this for me. My internal editor is really strong, and I can often look at writings fairly objectively meaning, I usually know when it sucks.

Do I have nothing to say? That's not it either.

I've comments on Billmon's leaving the blogworld and how it directly impacts me.

I've opinions on the White House's "surge" and the civilized world's (aka Charlie Brown) impulse to believe that Bush (Lucy) has a plan (won't take away the football) this time. Congress and voters, when will you start believing that this man-child we have in the Oval Office, is just a pouty man-child whose every move can be sussed out by basically asking two questions: "Is Poppy Bush for this?" and "Does Bush Jr. think he can outdo Poppy on this issue?" (The answers are: if Poppy's for it, Bush Jr's against it AND if Bush Jr thinks he has a shot at outdoing Poppy, he'll take the chance. Sheesh, didn't the past 6 years teach you anything about this idiot's psyche?)

Truth be told, most of my opinions and misgivings are voiced out there by better writers than I - Check out Digby at Hullabaloo if you don't believe me.

Therefore I am simply waiting for the Muse to come by and swing a bat at my head.

Swing away, Muse. I need a bit of inspiration right now.

[Updated] What did I tell ya about Digby's writing? As soon as I hit "Publish Post", I head over to read Digby and sure enough, today's entry is EXACTLY what I wanted to say about the administration - and that we are just fooling ourselves if we think we live in a Democracy.

This Past Christmas Didn't Feel Like It

Maybe it was because my mother was in Shanghai and it's the first time at my sister's without my mother. (My sister missed our mother too, as did the grandkids. My brother-in-law: not so much)

Maybe it was because Mom Wilson's dead and I could never spend another Christmas with her again.

Maybe it was because dumbass nephew was in rehab again.

Maybe it was because I was so sick I didn't have any energy for Christmas shopping.

Whatever it was, this past holidays didn't feel... festive.

However, I must say that I'm still filled with hope for the new year.

New Year's resolution: To create a sneaky and pitiable character for Escalating Descent named M.C. Didn't someone once say the pen is mightier than the sword?

Month of Dec. In Bed

Ugh!

I wish it was due to some hot and heavy going-ons between Bratworse and me, but it wasn't as sexy as all that. First I catch a cold on the airplane coming back from Vancouver. Then I pass it to Bratworse, who manages to pass it back to me. Two weeks and boxes of used-up tissue filled with yellow snot later, we come back from Christmas with the family(s) to land me in the hospital due to 6 hours of non-stop vomiting. One IV of fluids later, back to the house with an acutely infected sinus.

I still have the sinus infection but at least I don't have nearly crippling pain in my face anymore.

It's a New Year and I can't wait. 2007 seems like it's going to be a great year, with one and a half more years until Bratworse graduates and we can be a two-income family again. Hopefully, less health problems and many wonderful times to go.

I can't believe how much more in love Bratworse and I are. It's definitely looking better for 2007 even though many many parts of 2006 was great.